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Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of Bwindi impenetrable forest, Uganda and Abayanda indigenous knowledge

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2007

Dominic Byarugaba
Dominic Byarugaba*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda
*
*Email: plants@infocom.co.ug
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Abstract

Stingless bees are little-known organisms but important plant pollinators in Bwindi Forest. They risk disappearance, as with other pollinators and seed dispersers, as a result of pesticide and herbicide poisoning, habitat alteration, invasion by alien species (plant and animal) and insularization of habitats. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park forest has five species of stingless bees in two genera (Meliponula and Hypotrigona). The conservation of pollinators in Bwindi needs to be urgently addressed, and among the required measures are studies on plant–pollinator relationships. The study also demonstrated the accuracy of Abayanda indigenous systematic knowledge.

Keywords

Abayandastingless beesBwindipollinationpollinatorMeliponulaHypotrigonaindigenous knowledge
Type
Short Communication
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 117 - 121
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2004

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References

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