Stingless bee Meliponula Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) ground nest architecture and traditional knowledge on the use of honey in the Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Stingless bees constitute an important component of tropical ecosystems. The present study reports on the ground nest architecture of the Meliponula stingless bees, impact of agricultural activities on the stingless bee population and traditional use of stingless bee honey in three districts—Wegera, Libo Kemkem and Alepha—of the Amhara Region, Ethiopia. The ground nests were located with the help of indigenous knowledge. The parameters of the Meliponula ground nests were measured and compared with published data. The impact of agricultural activities and the use of stingless bee honey (locally known as tazima or tazma mar) in ethnomedicine were documented through interviewing local communities and briefly discussed. It has been noted that stingless bee honey is used locally as a treatment for both infectious and non-infectious conditions and as an effective pain-relief measure. However, the stingless bee populations in the Amhara Region are endangered by traditional agricultural practices and habitat destruction. It has been suggested that development of appropriate meli-po niculture technology is most essential to conserve the stingless bee di versity in Ethiopia and to effectively utilize their honey for human benefit.