Melipona

Melipona
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Apidae
Subfamily:	Apinae
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). At least 40 species are known. 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.^[1]

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

Selected taxa

• Melipona beecheii Bennett
• Melipona bicolor (Lepeletier, 1836) – guarupu, guaraipo
• Melipona capixaba (Moure & Camargo, 1994)
• Melipona compressipes – tiúba
  • Melipona compressipes manaosensis – jupará
• Melipona fasciata Latreille, 2008
• Melipona fuscipes Friese, 1900 (Latreille, 1811)
• Melipona fuliginosa (Latreille, 1811) – manduri-preto
• Melipona interrupta – jandaíra
• Melipona marginata Lepeletier, 1836 – manduri, manduri menor, mandurim, minduri, gurupu-do-miúdo, taipeira
• Melipona mimetica
• Melipona quadrifasciata (Lepeletier) – mandaçaia, amanaçaia, manaçaia, "uruçu"
  • M. q. anthidioides
• Melipona quinquefasciata (Lepeletier) – mandaçaia-da-terra, mandaçaia-do-chão, uruçu-do-chão
• Melipona ruficrus – irapuá
• Melipona rufiventris (Lepeletier) – uruçu-amarela, tuiuva, tujuba, bugia
  • M. r. paraensis – uruçu-boca-de-ralo
• Melipona scutellaris Latreille, 1811 – uruçu-nordestina, "uruçu"
• Melipona seminigra
  • M. s. merrillae – boca-de-renda
• Melipona subnitida – jandaíra

See also

• Stingless bee
• Melittology
• Bees and toxic chemicals
• Trigona, another genus of stingless bees

References

1. Martinez, Veronica (6 November 2013). "Abrió sus puertas el parque interactivo "Abeja Planet"" (in Spanish). Mérida, Mexico: Por Esto!. Retrieved 9 May 2015.