Sociobiology 61(4): 348-354 (December 2014) DOI: 10.13102/sociobiology.v61i4.348-354 Sociobiology An international journal on social insects REVIEW The Stingless Bee Fauna In Brazil (Hymenoptera: Apidae) SRM Pedro Universidade de São Paulo, FFCLRP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil Article History Abstract The stingless bee fauna currently known from Brazil is summarized, including Edited by geographic records by Brazilian states. A total of 244 valid species and about 89 Denise Araujo Alves, ESALQ-USP, Brazil Received 06 October 2014 undescribed forms, placed in 29 genera, are recorded for the country. The survey is Initial acceptance 03 November 2014 based mainly on the Catalogue of Bees (Moure’s Bee Catalogue) and specimens housed Final acceptance 01 December 2014 in the Camargo Collection – RPSP. An evaluation of the current taxonomic status and some short comments on biology are also included. Keywords Meliponini, taxonomy, nests, geographic distribution, behavior. Corresponding author Silvia Regina de Menezes Pedro Dept. Biologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, FFCLRP Universidade de São Paulo, USP Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, CEP: 14040-901 Ribeirão Preto São Paulo, Brazil E-Mail:
[email protected] Introduction nutrients, or maintaining the plant community by dispersing seeds and especially pollen (Gullan & Cranston, 2008). The Biological collections are essential for studying and Hymenoptera concentrate the most important groups of pollinators, understanding biodiversity because they store not only the and researchers, governments and NGOs have increasingly given specimens themselves but also important information associated their attention in the last two decades especially to the native bees with those organisms (e.g.