Abstract
The Meliponini have a pantropical distribution (Indo-Australia, the Neotropics and Africa-Madagascar) which includes continental disjunctions unique among the Apidae, revealing a complex history of vicariance events of great antiquity. The trait of disjunction by vicariance permits the inference that Meliponini possibly had their origin on the ancient Gondwanan continent and possess a minimum age near 100 million years (Camargo and Pedro 1992). The oldest known fossil of Meliponini is Cretotrigona prisca, from upper Cretaceous New Jersey—USA, c.a. 65–96 Ma (Michener and Grimaldi 1988a, b; Engel 2000).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The online version http://moure.cria.org.br/catalogue?id=27560, updated on 07 February 2012 by SRM Pedro, includes now 412 species (SRMP, personal note)
- 2.
SRMP note.
References
Amorim DS, Pires MRS. 1996. Neotropical biogeography and a method for maximum biodiversity estimation. 183–219 pp. In: Bicudo EMC, Menezes NA, eds. Biodiversity in Brazil, a first approach. CNPq; São Paulo, Brasil. 326 p.
Camargo JMF. 1996. Meliponini neotropicais (Apinae, Apidae, Hymenoptera): biogeografia histórica. pp 107–121. In: Garofalo CA et al., eds Anais do Encontro sobre Abelhas de Ribeirão Preto, SP, FFCLRP-USP; Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brasil. xxii + 351 pp.
Camargo JMF. 2006. A Amazônia não é uma unidade histórica. pp. 47–49. In: Santana WC, Lobo CH, Hartfelder KH et al., eds. Anais do VII Encontro sobre Abelhas. Ribeirão Preto, Brasil, FFCLRP-USP, FMRP-USP, publicação eletrônica em mídia digital (CDROM), p. 850.
Camargo JMF, Moure JS (1996) Meliponini neotropicais: o genero Geotrigona Moure, 1943, (Apinae, Apidae, Hymenoptera), com especial referencia a filogenia e biogeografia. Arquivos de Zoologia 33:95–161
Camargo JMF, Pedro SRM. 1992. Systematics, phylogeny and biogeography of the Meliponinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae): a mini-review. Apidologie 23:509–522.
Camargo JMF, Pedro SRM. 2002. Mutualistic association between a tiny Amazonian stingless bee and a wax-producing scale insect. Biotropica 34:446–451.
Camargo JMF, Pedro SRM. 2003. Meliponini Neotropicais: o gênero Partamona Schwarz, 1939 (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae) – bionomia e biogeografia. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 47:311–372.
Camargo JMF, Pedro SRM. 2004. Meliponini neotropicais: o gênero Ptilotrigona Moure (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 48:353–377.
Camargo JMF, Pedro SRM. 2007 a. Notas sobre a bionomia de Trichotrigona extranea Camargo & Moure (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 51:72–81.
Camargo JMF, Pedro SRM. 2007 b. Meliponini Lepeletier, 1836. pp 272–578. In: Moure JS, Urban D, Melo GAR, eds. Catalogue of Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in the Neotropical Region. Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia; Curitiba, Brasil. 1058 pp.
Camargo JMF, Posey DA. 1990. O conhecimento dos Kayapó sobre as abelhas sociais sem ferrão (Meliponidae, Apidae, Hymenoptera): notas adicionais. Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, série Zoologia 6:17–42.
Camargo JMF, Roubik DW. 1991. Systematics and bionomics of the apoid obligate necrophages: the Trigona hypogea group (Hymenoptera: Apidae; Meliponinae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 44:13–39.
Camargo JMF, Garcia MVB, Júnior ERQ, Castrillon A. 1992. Notas prévias sobre a bionomia de Ptilotrigona lurida (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponinae): associação de leveduras em pólen estocado. Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, série Zoologia 8:391–395.
Engel MS. 2000. A new interpretation of the oldest fossil bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae). American Museum Novitates 3296:1–11.
Gilliam M, Buchmann SL, Lorenz BJ, Roubik DW. 1985. Microbiology of the larval provisions of the stingless bee, Trigona hypogea, an obligate necrophage. Biotropica 17:28–31.
Lokvam J, Braddock JF. 1999. Anti-bacterial function in the sexually dimorphic pollinator rewards of Clusia grandiflora (Clusiaceae). Oecologia 119:534–540.
Michener CD, Grimaldi DA. 1988 a. A Trigona from Late Creataceous amber of New Jersey (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponinae). American Museum Novitates 2917:1–10.
Michener CD, Grimaldi DA. 1988 b. The oldest fossil bee: apoid history, evolutionary stasis, and antiquity of social behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 85:6424–6426.
Noll FB, Zucchi R, Jorge JA, Mateus S. 1996. Food collection and maturation in the necrophagous stingless bee, Trigona hypogea (Hymenoptera: Meliponinae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 69:287–293.
Posey DA, Camargo JMF. 1985. Additional notes on the classification and knowledge of stingless bees (Meliponinae, Apidae, Hymenoptera) by the Kayapó Indians of Gorotire, Pará, Brazil. Annals of Carnegie Museum 54:247–274.
Roubik DW. 1982. Obligate necrophagy in a social bee. Science 217:1059–1060.
Silvestri F. 1902. Contribuzione alla conoscenza dei meliponid del Bacino del Rio de la Plata. Rivista di Patologia Vegetale 10:121–174.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
de Camargo, J.M.F. (2013). Historical Biogeography of the Meliponini (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Apinae) of the Neotropical Region. In: Vit, P., Pedro, S., Roubik, D. (eds) Pot-Honey. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4960-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4960-7_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-4959-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-4960-7
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)