Stingless Bees Emerge as Underrecognised Pollinators With Ecological and Economic Value

Stingless bees, ancient tropical insects distributed across Asia, Africa, Australia and South America, possess significant ecological, medicinal and economic value that remains largely unrecognised in mainstream conservation frameworks. As habitat loss and climate change threaten their populations, researchers are calling for greater scientific and policy attention to this group of pollinators.

Unlike the more familiar honeybee, stingless bees construct highly structured nests using cerumen, a mixture of wax and plant resin, and defend their colonies through biting and secreting sticky substances rather than stinging. Their honey, produced in smaller quantities but with distinct biochemical properties, has established uses in traditional medicine across tropical regions. More than 500 species of stingless bees are known globally, with significant populations across South and Southeast Asia including India.

The ecological role of stingless bees in pollinating native plant species, including those in forest understories not accessible to larger bee species, makes them important to biodiversity and agricultural systems alike. Their nesting habits in tree cavities and wall crevices make them well suited to both forest and peri-urban environments. However, deforestation, monoculture expansion and increased pesticide use are fragmenting their habitat and reducing colony density in regions where they were once common.

Conservation of stingless bees could support multiple objectives simultaneously, including native plant pollination, community-level honey production and forest health monitoring. Meliponiculture, the managed rearing of stingless bees, has expanded in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, offering a model for integrating stingless bee production into livelihood schemes. Broader policy support for pollinator diversity, beyond managed honeybees, is needed to protect what researchers describe as one of nature's most underrated ecological contributors.

Key figure — Over 500 known species of stingless bees globally