From neglect to stardom: how the rising popularity of stingless bees threatens diversity and meliponiculture in Mexico

Quezada‐Euán, José Javier G.; May-Itzá, William J.; Rúa, Pilar De la; Roubik, David W.

doi:10.1007/s13592-022-00975-w

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…This implies that some species might suffer and perish due to intolerance to new climatic features 26 . In this regard, one practical aspect of our work is the identification of populations of two stingless bee species whose colonies are increasingly commercialized with a latent risk of being shipped to distant areas, many outside their original geographic region 27 . The effect of man induced translocation is evident by the weaker genetic structure of managed species of stingless bees compared to feral ones 51 , 55 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notably, the number of species of these insects under husbandry is increasing locally and worldwide 25 . Due to their popularity and escalating demand, translocation of stingless bee colonies across geographic regions is more frequently occurring 26 , 27 . Translocating colonies across regions or to regions naturally lacking stingless bees, can have negative consequences on the biodiversity and intraspecific genetic richness as well as in the spread of pathogens 27 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to their popularity and escalating demand, translocation of stingless bee colonies across geographic regions is more frequently occurring 26 , 27 . Translocating colonies across regions or to regions naturally lacking stingless bees, can have negative consequences on the biodiversity and intraspecific genetic richness as well as in the spread of pathogens 27 . Accurate and rapid population delimitation thus, can be essential for conservation projects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles reveal geographic chemotypes in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini)

Rodrigues Méndez,

Muñoz-Rodríguez,

Aragón-Pech

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Cuticular hydrocarbon (CHCs) variation has been detected in various insect taxa, but the potential contribution of cuticular compounds for analyzing intraspecific diversity at the population level has been little explored. Here we assess for the first time intraspecific variation in the CHC profile of stingless bees, using the species Melipona beecheii and Nannotrigona perilampoides. The objective is determining whether intraspecific variation can be useful for population identification. We found species-specific chemical patterns and extensive variation within each species. Notably, chemotypes were significantly associated to geographic origin in N. perilampoides but less so in M. beecheii and we discuss possible explanations for these patterns. Our results support the use of CHCs in conjunction with other methods in emerging problems such as undetected colony mobilization across regions. As CHCs are involved in several aspects of stingless bee recognition and interactions, it would be essential to unravel how these chemical signatures evolve across populations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles reveal geographic chemotypes in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini)

Rodrigues Méndez,

Muñoz-Rodríguez,

Aragón-Pech

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

Self Cite

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Dominance and identity of the dominant bee drive bee diversity on flowers

Varma,

Rajesh,

Manoj

et al. 2023

Biodivers Conserv

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Communities are characterized by the dominance of a few species, which are crucial for shaping communities. Bees compete for scarce resources, and offer an ideal system to study the effect of dominance on the diversity of bees. The effect of bee dominance is studied predominantly for the western honeybee, which can have negative effects in introduced sites. Solitary bees, stingless bees, native honeybees, and bumblebees can also be dominant on owers. We test the hypothesis that dominance, regardless of the identity of the species, negatively in uence diversity of bees on owers. We analyzed 95,160 visits of 58 species of bees belonging to honeybees, solitary bees, and stingless bees on 59,211 owers of 12 plant species across ve years. Visitors were grouped into honeybees, solitary bees, and stingless bees. Proportion of the total abundance accounted by the most abundant species was considered as the estimate of dominance. Dominance negatively associated with richness and visitation rate of bees, but identity of bee functional group predicted the magnitude of the effects. Richness decreased with the dominance of honeybees and solitary bees, but not with the stingless bees. Visits of honeybees decreased when solitary bees dominated the visits. Visits of solitary bees decreased when honeybees or stingless bees dominated the owers. We have shown that native bees of different functional groups can exert a similar negative effect on bee diversity in owers like the invasive species do. Honeybees and stingless bees, though native in some parts, deteriorate bee diversity if augmented to ecosystems unnecessarily.

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Foraging behavior and the nest architecture of a high-Andean stingless bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) revealed by X-ray computerized tomography

Jacome-García,

Gonzalez,

Riaño-Jimenez

et al. 2024

Apidologie

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Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) are key pollinators of both cultivated and wild plants in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. While most species are found in lowland to mid-elevations, a few have adapted to high elevations, and their biology remains poorly understood. We assess the foraging pattern of Parapartamona zonata (Smith) in the central Andes of Colombia (2583 m.a.s.l.) and apply computer tomography to visualize and characterize its internal nest architecture. Bees foraged for pollen and nesting materials (resin and/or mud) from sunrise (5:40 h) to sunset (17:45), even at ambient temperatures as low as 11 °C. Foraging varied significantly throughout the day and temperature and sky condition explained 47% of its variance. Differences in the nest architecture, when compared with previous records, suggest that nesting behavior might be variable. These results are discussed in the context of behavioral adaptations in this unique environmental niche.

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From neglect to stardom: how the rising popularity of stingless bees threatens diversity and meliponiculture in Mexico

Cited by 6 publications

References 93 publications

Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles reveal geographic chemotypes in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini)

Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles reveal geographic chemotypes in stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini)

Dominance and identity of the dominant bee drive bee diversity on flowers

Foraging behavior and the nest architecture of a high-Andean stingless bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) revealed by X-ray computerized tomography

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