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Melipona
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Tribe: Meliponini
Genus: Melipona
Illiger, 1806
Species

Some 40, see text

Melipona is a genus of stingless bees, widespread in warm areas of the Neotropics, from Sinaloa and Tamaulipas (México) to Tucumán and Misiones (Argentina). About 70 species are known. [1] The largest producer of honey from Melipona bees in Mexico is in the state of Yucatán where bees are studied at an interactive park called "Bee Planet" which is within the Cuxtal Ecological Reserve. [2]

Several species are kept for honey production, such as in Brazil, where some are well-known enough to have common names, including uruçu, mandaçaia, jandaíra, and manduri. Melipona honey has long been used by humans and now is of minor commercial importance. Research is going on in improved beekeeping techniques.

Subtaxa

The following are some proposed subtaxa of Melipona, although they are not yet widely used. [3]

Selected taxa

The genus includes the following species: [3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Grüter, C. 2020. Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution. Springer Nature, 385 pp.
  2. ^ Martinez, Veronica (6 November 2013). "Abrió sus puertas el parque interactivo "Abeja Planet"" (in Spanish). Mérida, Mexico: Por Esto!. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b Pedro, Silvia R. M. (2014). "The Stingless Bee Fauna In Brazil (Hymenoptera: Apidae)". Sociobiology. 61 (4): 348–354. doi: 10.13102/sociobiology.v61i4.348-354.[ permanent dead link]