''Melipona'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
stingless bee
Stingless bees (SB), sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees (from about 462 to 552 described species), comprising the Tribe (biology), tribe Meliponini (or subtribe Meliponina according to other aut ...
s, widespread in warm areas of the
Neotropic
The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone.
Definition
In biogeogra ...
s, from
Sinaloa
Sinaloa (), officially the (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, compose the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities, and its capital city is Culiacán Rosales.
It is located in northwest Mexic ...
and
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities.
It is located in nor ...
(México) to
Tucumán and
Misiones
Misiones (, ''Missions'') is one of the 23 provinces of Argentina, located in the northeastern corner of the country in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by Paraguay to the northwest, Brazil to the north, east and south, and Corrientes P ...
(Argentina). About 70
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
are known.
[Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution''. ''Springer Nature'', 385 pp.] The largest producer of honey from ''Melipona'' bees in Mexico is in the state of
Yucatán
Yucatán, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, constitute the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate municipalities, and its capital city is Mérida.
...
where bees are studied at an interactive park called "Bee Planet" which is within the
Cuxtal Ecological Reserve.
Several species are kept for
honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...
production, such as in
Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, 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.
* ''
Eomelipona''
* ''
Melikerria''
* ''Melipona'' (''
sensu stricto
''Sensu'' is a Latin word meaning "in the sense of". It is used in a number of fields including biology, geology, linguistics, semiotics, and law. Commonly it refers to how strictly or loosely an expression is used in describing any particular c ...
'')
* ''
Michmelia''
Selected taxa
The genus includes the following species:
* ''
Melipona amazonica
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
(Schulz, 1905)
* ''
Melipona asilvai
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
( Moure, 1971)
* ''
Melipona baeri
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
(Vachal, 1904)
* ''
Melipona beecheii
''Melipona beecheii'' is a species of eusocial stingless bee. It is native to Central America from the Yucatán Peninsula in the north to Costa Rica in the south. ''M. beecheii'' was cultivated in the Yucatán Peninsula starting in the pre-Colum ...
''
(Bennett, 1831)
* ''
Melipona belizeae
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
(Schwarz, 1932)
* ''
Melipona bicolor
''Melipona bicolor'' , commonly known as Guaraipo or Guarupu, is a Eusociality, eusocial bee found primarily in South America. It is an inhabitant of the Araucaria moist forests, Araucaria Forest and the Atlantic Rainforest, and is most commonly ...
''
(Lepeletier, 1836) –'' guarupu, guaraipo''
* ''
Melipona boliviana
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
(Schwarz, 1932)
* ''
Melipona brachychaeta
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
(Moure, 1950)
* ''
Melipona bradleyi
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
(Schwarz, 1932) (Melipona illustris (Schwarz, 1932))
* ''
Melipona capixaba
''Melipona capixaba'', commonly known as uruçu negra (black uruçu) in Brazil, is a species of eusocial stingless bees of the order Hymenoptera. It is endemic to the mountainous region of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Since 2003, it has ...
''
(Moure & Camargo, 1995)
* ''
Melipona captiosa
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, E ...
''
(Moure, 1962)
* ''
Melipona carrikeri
''Melipona'' is a genus of stingless bees, widespread in warm areas of the Neotropics, from Sinaloa and Tamaulipas (México) to Tucumán Province, Tucumán and Misiones Province, Misiones (Argentina). About 70 species are known.Grüter, C. 2020. ...
''
(Cockerell, 1919)
* ''
Melipona colimana''
(Ayala, 1999)
* ''
Melipona compressipes''
(Fabricius, 1804) – ''tiúba''
** ''Melipona compressipes manaosensis'' – ''jupará''
* ''
Melipona costaricaensis''
(Cockerell, 1919)
* ''
Melipona cramptoni''
(Cockerell, 1920)
* ''
Melipona crinita''
(Moure & Kerr, 1950)
* ''
Melipona dubia''
(Moure & Kerr, 1950)
* ''
Melipona eburnea''
(Friese, 1900)
* ''
Melipona fasciata
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, Ec ...
''
(Latreille, 1811)
* ''
Melipona fasciculata''
(Smith, 1854)
* ''
Melipona favosa''
(Fabricius, 1798)
* ''
Melipona fuliginosa''
(Lepeletier, 1836)
* ''
Melipona flavolineata''
(Friese, 1900)
* ''
Melipona fulva''
(Lepeletier, 1836)
* ''
Melipona fuscata''
(Lepeletier, 1836)
* ''
Melipona fuscopilosa''
(Moure & Kerr, 1950)
* ''
Melipona fuscipes''
(Latreille, 1811)
* ''
Melipona grandis''
(Guérin-Méneville, 1844)
* ''
Melipona illota''
(Cockerell, 1919)
* ''
Melipona indecisa''
(Cockerell, 1919)
* ''
Melipona interrupta''
(Latreille, 1811) – ''jandaíra''
* ''
Melipona lateralis''
(Erichson, 1848)
* ''
Melipona lupitae''
(Ayala, 1999)
* ''
Melipona mandacaia''
(Smith, 1863)
* ''
Melipona marginata''
(Lepeletier, 1836) – ''manduri, manduri menor, mandurim, minduri, gurupu-do-miúdo, taipeira''
* ''
Melipona melanopleura''
(Cockerell, 1919)
* ''
Melipona melanoventer''
(Schwarz, 1932)
* ''
Melipona merrillae''
(Cockerell, 1919)
* ''
Melipona micheneri''
(Schwarz, 1951)
* ''
Melipona mimetica''
(Cockerell, 1914)
* ''
Melipona mondury''
(Smith, 1863)
* ''
Melipona nebulosa''
(Camargo, 1988)
* ''
Melipona nigrescens''
(Friese, 1900)
* ''
Melipona obscurior''
(Moure, 1971)
* ''
Melipona ogilviei''
(Schwarz, 1932)
* ''
Melipona orbignyi
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, Ec ...
''
(Guérin-Méneville, 1844)
* ''
Melipona panamica''
(Cockerell, 1919)
* ''
Melipona paraensis''
(Ducke, 1916)
* ''
Melipona peruviana''
(Friese, 1900)
* ''
Melipona puncticollis''
(Friese, 1902)
* ''
Melipona quadrifasciata
''Melipona quadrifasciata'' is a species of eusocial, stingless bee of the order Hymenoptera. It is native to the southeastern coastal states of Brazil, where it is more commonly known as :pt:Mandaçaia, mandaçaia, which means "beautiful guard, ...
''
(Lepeletier, 1836) – ''mandaçaia, amanaçaia, manaçaia, "uruçu"''
** ''M. q. anthidioides''
* ''
Melipona quinquefasciata''
(Lepeletier, 1836) – ''mandaçaia-da-terra, mandaçaia-do-chão, uruçu-do-chão''
* ''
Melipona rufescens''
(Friese, 1900 )
* ''
Melipona ruficrus'' – ''irapuá''
* ''
Melipona rufiventris''
(Lepeletier, 1836) – ''uruçu-amarela, tuiuva, tujuba, bugia''
** ''M. r. paraensis'' – ''uruçu-boca-de-ralo''
* ''
Melipona salti''
(Schwarz, 1932)
* ''
Melipona schwarzi''
(Moure, 1963)
* ''
Melipona scutellaris
''Melipona scutellaris'' is a eusocial stingless bee species of the order Hymenoptera and the genus ''Melipona''. It is considered to be the reared ''Melipona'' species with the largest distribution in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, w ...
''
(Latreille, 1811) – ''uruçu-nordestina, "uruçu"''
* ''
Melipona seminigra''
(Friese, 1903)
** ''M. s. atrofulva''
** ''M. s. abunensis''
** ''M. s. merrillae'' – ''boca-de-renda''
** ''M. s. pernigra''
* ''
Melipona solani''
(Cockerell, 1912)
* ''
Melipona subnitida
''Melipona subnitida'' is a neotropical bee species in the Apidae family found in the dry areas of Northeastern Brazil. This species of stingless bees practices single mating, monogynous habits.
This species nests in hollow trunks of living tr ...
''
(Ducke, 1911) – ''jandaíra''
* ''
Melipona titania''
(Gribodo, 1893)
* ''
Melipona torrida''
(Friese, 1917)
* ''
Melipona triplaridis''
(Cockerell, 1925)
* ''
Melipona tumupasae''
(Schwarz, 1932)
* ''
Melipona variegatipes
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, Ec ...
''
(Gribodo, 1893)
** ''M. v. lautipes''
* ''
Melipona yucatanica
''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.Grüter, C. 2020. ''Stingless Bees: Their Behaviour, Ec ...
''
(Camargo, Moure & Roubik, 1988)
See also
*
Stingless bee
Stingless bees (SB), sometimes called stingless honey bees or simply meliponines, are a large group of bees (from about 462 to 552 described species), comprising the Tribe (biology), tribe Meliponini (or subtribe Meliponina according to other aut ...
*
List of stingless bees of Brazil
*
Melittology
Melittology (from Greek , ''melitta'', "bee"; and ''-logia'') is a branch of entomology concerning the scientific study of bees. It can also be called apiology or apicology. Melittology covers the species found in the clade Anthophila within ...
*
Bees and toxic chemicals
* ''
Trigona
''Trigona'' is one of the largest genera of stingless bees, comprising about 32 species, exclusively occurring in the New World, and formerly including many more subgenera than the present assemblage; many of these former subgenera have been ele ...
'', another genus of stingless bees
References
{{Authority control
Bee genera
Orchid pollinators
Taxa named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger