Genetic structure of the commercial stingless bee Heterotrigona itama (Apidae: Meliponini) in Thailand.

ABSTRACT: Stingless beekeeping, also known as meliponiculture, has gained increasing popularity in many tropical and subtropical countries for its use in commercial pollination and high-value honey and propolis production. However, this rising interest in stingless beekeeping has led to significant geographical displacements of bee colonies by beekeepers, occasionally surpassing their native ranges. Consequently, this affects local bee populations by disrupting gene flow across unnaturally large geographic scales. For Heterotrigona itama, one of the most common stingless bee species in Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, there is concern that large-scale artificial propagation by beekeepers utilizing a limited number of bee colonies will lead to inbreeding. This practice leads to increase

SUBMITTER: Wongsa K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11616864 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature