JARQ 34(3), 183- 190 (2000) hltp://ss.jircas.afirc.go.jp What are Stingless Bees, and Why and How to Use Them as Crop Pollinators? - a Review - Kazuhiro AMAN01*, Tetsu NEMOTa2 and Tim A. HEARD3 1 Laboratory of Apiculture, National Institute of Animal Industry (Tsukuba, lbaraki, 305-0901 Japan) 2 Laboratory of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Animal Industry (Tsukuba, lbaraki, 305-0901 Japan) 3 Long Pocket Laboratories, CSIRO Entomology (P:M:B 3 Indooroopilly 4068, Australia) Abstract The efficiency of insects as crop pollinators depends on their biological characteristics in relation to the crop and the environment in which they are needed. For glasshouse pollination in Japan, stingless bees are potentially promising pollinators for the following reasons: they are harmless to beekeepers and glasshouse workers, they visit a wide range of crops (polylecly), they are tolerant of high tempera­ tures, they are active throughout the year, they can be transported easily, and they do not pose an envi­ ronmental risk by escaping and invading natural habitats as they would not survive the Japanese winter. There are still, however, some limitations to using stingless bees in such areas, one of which lies in how to improve methods for propagating and maintaining the colonies throughout the year. To address this prob! em we suggest the development of a new type of hive box. Discipline: Crop production I Horticulture Additional key words: beekeeping, meliponiculture 111i11a11gkaba11, T. moorei, T. itama, from Southeast Asia; Introduction Na111101rigo11a testaceicomis, Plebeia dro,ya,,a, T. a11g11s111la, T. barocoloradensis from Brazil, with a view Stingless bees are soc ial bees which lack a func­ to testing them as pollinators of strawberries and pub­ tional st ing. They store honey and pollen, and are some­ lished a note stating that N. lestaceicomis was the most times called stingless honey bees11>. Since they occur in effective one and that economical fruit production could perennial colonies in tropica l and subtropica l climates, it be maintained by the introduction of colonies into is impossible for them to survive naturally th roughout lhe glasshouses 15>. cold season in countries w ith a temperate climate such as In this paper we describe the use of insects as crop Japan. Considering that these people-friendly and eco­ pollinators in Japan, and also the potential of the st ingless system-friendly bees could be used as crop pollinators, bee, T. carbonaria, from Australia to be kept and utilized we introduced colonies of several species from Australia successfully as pollinators under glasshouse conditions. and other countries, and investigated methods for keep­ ing and multiplying hives. Status of pollinator utilization in Japan The general biology of stingless bees has been 17 23 18 described by various authors • • >, and pollination by Where no pollinators are available, many crops need stinglcss bees in tropical areas has been reviewed hand or mechanical pollination. Multiple use of insecti­ recen tly9>. Most of the research, however, has been con­ cides and expansion of single cropping, both of which ducted in the areas where the bees live. Very little work have been conducive lo the development of modern agri­ on using stingless bees introduced from overseas has cu lture, have also led to the decrease of natural pol lina tor been performed in Japan, much less from the practical populations. In addition, cultivation under structures, pollination point of view. Sakagami introduced the con­ such as glasshouses or greenhouses, where no rain, w ind, cept of domestication of stinglcss bees first into Japa1122>. or natural pollinators could be expected, has been dis­ Macta ct al. imported 7 species of stingless bees, Trigo11a sem inated in response to the rising demand for fruits and * Corresponding author: fax +81 - 298- 38- 8606, e-mail [email protected] Received 5 November 1999, accepted 7 December 1999. 184 JARQ 34(3) 2000 vcgc1ab les. These agricu ltural conditions have stimu­ age them by themselves. lated 1he demand fol' efficient manageable pollinators for The third insect is the honey bee, or the European crops. honey bee, Apis mel/ifera. This well-known social insec t Three species or insects have had a great impact on is an important pollinator of orchards, fields, and large­ crop pollination recent ly in Japan. scale glasshouses partly because of its large co lony popu­ The lirst is Osmia cvm((rv11s, a solitary bee used lation (over 10,000 individuals), long distance nights since 1945 and now essential for the pollination of crops, (more than 2 km), wide range or plants on which it for­ especially of apples. The po llina1ing ability of Osmia ages (more than 80% of cultivated crops), and availabil­ com(fi,)1/s on apple is considered to be much higher than ity of estab lished beekeeping techniques. In fact, honey 1hat of the honey bee. Osmia com((rons is so efficient at bees are used widely as pollinators overseas but 1101 in pollinating crops tha1 ii was introduced into the USA in Japan. Most of the Japanese farmers who need poll ina­ 1977 for sma ll orchards on the East coast, and into Den ­ tors do not keep the honey bees by themse lves, but, if mark for greenhouse crops. Its li fe cycle is very simple: necessary, have professiona l beekeepers manage the col­ the mated female makes a series or cells in the tubes it onies. There are only 5,000 professional or semiprofes­ se lects for nesting in spring; when foraging trips occur, sional beekeepers in Japan, the smal I number of which each cell is Ii lied with a honey pollen mixture on wh ich it limits the use or honey bees as pollinators. lays an egg; a new adult emerges within the nest in early Both bumblebees and Osmih comifro11s bees have autumn and overwinters therein; she appears out of the been commonly used mainly because the farmers can nest anti mates and then makes foraging trips for a new manage the bees by 1hemselves unlike the case of honey nest in the following spring. The foraging period co in­ bees. A study aimed at breeding a mu rant strain of honey cides with the nowering of apple. Since Osmia comi­ bees with non-stinging characteristics by using gamma fi'o11s bees nest in bamboo or recd and readily accept radiation has been initiated so that the farmers can man­ art i licial nests, beekeeping is simple for the farmer to age the colonies for pollination with easc11. manage with minimal skill. Presently the bees arc being Only honey bees and slinglcss bees are highly euso­ used as apple pollinators in more than 18,000 ha of­ cial spec ies living in perennial colonies which are easy to orchards in the northern part of Japan, and furthermore keep in hives and to be moved to any place, when neces­ the bees will be applied 10 other crops by shilling 1he sa ry. As a highly eusoeial bee group. st ingless bees also adult emerging time through the control of the hiberna­ share various useful characterist ics, and could be tion tempera ture. expected to be effective crop pollinators. T he second useful insect pollinator is the European bumblebee, /30111b11s terrestris, which is a social inscc1. Stinglcss bees and honey bees Unlike honey bees or stinglcss bees, the colonies are annual and only queens fertilized the previous autumn Social insects show some of the following character­ survive the winter in hibernation alone and appear in istics: cooperation among adults in brood care and nest spring to start up new co lonies by themselves. The first construction; overlapping of at least 2 generations; and adults produced by the queen arc all workers. With the reproductive division of laborm. Those which display all progression of the season, the co lony becomes more pop­ 3 of the above characteris1ics are ca lled eusocial insects. ulous. Males and new queens arc produced at the climax Of over I 0,000 dilTerent species of social insects cxisiing of colony development around summer. The males of the today, honey bees of the subfamily Apinae and st ingless colony. whether they mated or not. die before the onset of bees of the subfamily Meliponinae, have attained the the winter season. So do the workers. fn the case of arti­ most advanced social levels and they are called highly ficial nests, the co lony around the climax of i1s develop­ eusocial insects. The colonies of other social insects die ment can be used for crop pollination for about 2 months. when the fertile individual dies. But honey bees and The bumble bee is cons idered to be an efficient pol I inaior stinglcss bees live in perennial colonies by replacement of some crops because buzz-pollination of crops that or the queen when needed. European honey bees and require it such as Solanaccac can be achieved. Buzzing Oriental honey bees (A. cernna) have been kept for a long bees cling to the ends of the anthers and vibrate their indi­ time in Europe and Asia (beekeeping or apiculture), and rect night muscles, leading to pollen release. stingless bees have been kept in Central and South Amer­ The colonies have been imported from Europe since ica (stingless beekeeping or 1neliponiculturc) due to their 1991 for pollination of tomatoes alone in glasshouses, perennial colonies. and now more than 30,000 co lonies arc imported per yea r. These bees arc popular because farmers can man- K. A111a110, T. Ne111010 & 1: A. Heard: Slingless Bees as Crop Po//im11or.1· 185 Biology of stingless bees bees have various and efficient means of defense fo r col­ onies.