Abstract
The use to stingless bees in Tanzania is widespread, however, the traditional knowledge and practices are not well documented. This study assessed the traditional knowledge of stingless bees and their utilization in 21 Districts representing seven geographical zones of mainland Tanzania. Knowledge on stingless bees and their uses was collected using semi-structured interviews which were supplemented with field observations. Stingless bee samples from hives and natural nests were also collected for identification. We found that a total of six species of stingless bees are utilized in Tanzania namely Meliponula ferruginea (Lepeletier 1841), Meliponula togoensis (Stadelmann 1895), Meliponula beccarii (Gribodo 1879), Hypotrigona gribodoi (Magretti 1884), Plebeina armata (Magretti 1895) and Dactylurina schmidti (Stadelmann 1895). M. ferruginea was the most widespread species, found in all seven geographical zones. In many parts of the country, stingless bee honey is mainly obtained through honey hunting which employs destructive methods. Domestication of stingless bees (meliponiculture) is well established in the Northern zone where the majority of respondents domesticated stingless bees, and 74.1% of stingless bee hives were found in this region. Stingless bee honey is used primarily as medicine to treat health ailments including ulcers, respiratory infections, fire burns, wounds, asthma, broken bones, intestinal worms and reproductive problems. Generally, there is an overexploitation of natural stingless bee nests which threatens the sustainability of stingless bee populations and their natural habitats. We can build upon this knowledge to better utilize stingless bees and their products while protecting their populations and natural habitats.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the University of Dar es Salaam for funding the study, the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) Agency for providing permits for the study and links to respondents, and the respondents for sharing their knowledge of stingless bees and the associated practices.
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This study was funded by the University of Dar es Salaam - Tanzania, under the academic staff development programme.
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Mduda, C.A., Hussein, J.M. & Muruke, M.H. Traditional knowledge and uses of stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Meliponini) in Tanzania. Int J Trop Insect Sci 43, 1071–1088 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01018-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-023-01018-2