Stingless Bees (Hymenoptera:Apidae:Meliponini): Diversity and Distribution in India

A five year survey was undertaken to explore the diversity and distribution of Stingless bees in India. Systematics study was made on specimens collected from different regions of India viz. North East, North West and South India. The area covered under the study longitude varies from the lowest 9.500 N (Kerela) to the highest 32.730 N (Jammu& Kashmir) and latitude varies from 74.500 E (Maharashtra) to 95.330 E (Arunachal Pradesh). The study revealed that the survey area had two genera and six different species of Indian stingless bees that had been explored and redescribed. The distribution pattern of stingless bees in India, four species of stingless bees were prevalent in South India except Tetragonula bengalensis and. T. ruficornis. In case of North East India, five species i. e. T. bengalensis, T. iridipennis, T. ruficornis, T. laeviceps and Lepidotrigona arcifera were dominant where as T. iridipennis and T. laeviceps were present in the North West India. The study also revealed that T. iridipennis and T. laeviceps were most commonly available species in all selected zone of India. The nesting behavior of Tetragonula irridipennis was found to make nest in timber whereas T. bengalensis makes nest in bamboo and others make in cracks and crevices of stone and mud walls in India.