Stingless bees: A historical perspective

Abstract

Stingless bees are social insects that have existed for over 100 million years. They are found in tropical and subtropical zones around the world. Until the introduction to the Americas of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, stingless bees were the main source of cerumen and honey and therefore played a significant role in native civilisations. Large quantities of stingless bee honey and wax had to be given in tributes to the Spanish conquerors and were shipped to Europe in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Honey bees later provided a much bigger return for the effort of management. These are bees of high valuation since ancient time and expanding legacy of cultural expressions. Local names of stingless bees are included in songs, poems, and novels. Resurgence of interest in pot-honey would give economic boost to meliponiculture, promote research of their putative medicinal attributes, and ensure the conservation of stingless bees.