The diversity of stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponini) in Batusangkar, West Sumatra: the current meliponiculture status

Abstract

Abstract The study on the diversity of stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in Batusangkar was conducted from September until December 2020. This study aimed to inventory stingless bee species at meliponicultures in three subdistricts of Batusangkar City in Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra. The study surveyed the meliponiculture sites by purposive sampling and directly collecting, by hand, the workers of the stingless bee at their colony entrances. A total of 5 species of stingless bees from 44 colonies were collected. The species with the most abundant population observed was Heterotrigona itama (23 colonies). Other four species shortly followed i.e., Geniotrigona thoracica (10 colonies), Tetragonula laeviceps (seven colonies), Tetragonula fuscobalteata (three colonies), and Homotrigona fimbriata (one colony). The diversity of stingless bees in this study was thought to be influenced by species’ productivity and behavior that work in their favor to be included by the farmers in their meliponiculture. This study presents the most suitable species of stingless bees to breed in the meliponiculture environment in Batusangkar.