''Meliponula'' is a genus 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 found in

sub-Saharan Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

Africa. They are small, with sizes ranging from 2mm to 8mm depending on the species. They provide honey, which in some species is considered to have medicinal properties. These bees are thought to be important

pollinators A pollinator is an animal that moves pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower. This helps to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Insects are the ma ...

. They are also very common in African countries such as Kakamega forest and Taita hills in Kenya. They are known to commonly nest in trees indigenous to these areas, but occasionally nest in window frames, door panels and roof loggings made of wood. They are particularly threatened by drastic increases in anthropogenic activities in forested areas.

References

Meliponini Bee genera Hymenoptera of Africa {{Apinae-stub