Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Mexico.
J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2014 Jun 5;10:47. doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-10-47.
Stingless bees were significant resources managed by Mesoamerican peoples during pre-Columbian times and remain important in particular areas. Our study aimed at inventorying stingless bees' species, traditional knowledge and forms of use and management of them at the municipality of Nocupetaro, Michoacán, Mexico, a region of the Balsas River Basin.
We inventoried the stingless bees of the municipality of Nocupétaro, Michoacán, México, through extensive collecting of bee specimens in different vegetation types. We then conducted semi-structured interviews to local experts in order to document their knowledge and management techniques of stingless bees' species.
We identified a total of eight stingless bees' species in the study area as well as three additional unidentified taxa recognized by people through the local names. Our inventory included one new record of species for the region (Lestrimelitta chamelensis Ayala, 1999). The taxa identified are all used by local people. Scaptotrigona hellwegeri Friese, 1900; Melipona fasciata Latreille, 1811; Frieseomelitta nigra Cresson, 1878 and Geotrigona acapulconis Strand, 1919 are particularly valued as food (honey), medicinal (honey and pollen), and material for handcrafts (wax). All species recorded are wild and their products are obtained through gathering. On average, local experts were able to collect 4 nests of stingless bees per year obtaining on average 6 L of honey and 4 Kg of wax but some came to collect up 10-12 hives per year (18 L of honey and 24 Kg of wax).
Local knowledge about use, management and ecological issues on stingless bees is persistent and deep in the study area. Information about this group of bees is progressively scarcer in Mexico and significant effort should be done from ethnobiological and ecological perspectives in order to complement the national inventory of bee resources and traditional knowledge and management of them.
无刺蜂是中美洲人民在哥伦布前时代管理的重要资源，在某些地区仍然很重要。我们的研究旨在盘点墨西哥米却肯州努科佩塔罗市的无刺蜂物种、传统知识以及对它们的使用和管理方式，该地区位于巴尔萨斯河流域。
我们通过在不同植被类型中广泛收集蜜蜂标本，对墨西哥米却肯州努科佩塔罗市的无刺蜂进行了盘点。然后，我们对当地专家进行了半结构化访谈，以记录他们对无刺蜂物种的知识和管理技术。
我们在研究区域内共确定了 8 种无刺蜂物种，此外还有 3 种通过当地人的当地名称识别的未识别类群。我们的清单包括该地区的一个新记录物种（Lestrimelitta chamelensis Ayala, 1999）。被识别的分类群均被当地人民使用。Scaptotrigona hellwegeri Friese, 1900；Melipona fasciata Latreille, 1811；Frieseomelitta nigra Cresson, 1878 和 Geotrigona acapulconis Strand, 1919 特别被视为食物（蜂蜜）、药用（蜂蜜和花粉）和手工艺品材料（蜡）。所有记录的物种都是野生的，其产品是通过采集获得的。平均而言，当地专家每年能够收集 4 个无刺蜂巢，平均获得 6 升蜂蜜和 4 公斤蜡，但有些人每年最多可采集 10-12 个蜂巢（18 升蜂蜜和 24 公斤蜡）。
关于无刺蜂的使用、管理和生态问题的当地知识在研究区域内持续存在且根深蒂固。关于该蜜蜂群的信息在墨西哥越来越少，应从民族生物学和生态学的角度进行重大努力，以补充国家蜜蜂资源清单以及对它们的传统知识和管理。
