Integrating Natural Nest Characteristics into the Design of Sustainable Hives and Trap Nests for Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith) in the Western Ghats, India

Imran Ali; R. N. Kencharaddi; Charanakumar; Chet P. Bhatta; S. Dinesha

doi:10.13102/sociobiology.v72i3.11305

Authors

Imran Ali Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
R. N. Kencharaddi Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, College of Forestry, Ponnampet, Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Shivamogga, Karnataka, India
Charanakumar Department of Environmental Science, Tumkur University, Tumkur, Karnataka, India & Karnataka Forest Department, Karnataka, India
Chet P. Bhatta Department of Biology, Radford University Carilion, Roanoke, VA 24013, United States
S. Dinesha Department of Forestry, North-Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus, Tura, Meghalaya, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v72i3.11305

Keywords:

Western Ghats, Stingless bee, Meliponiculture, Nesting ecology, Traditional knowledge

Abstract

The stingless bee species Tetragonula iridipennis (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponinae) is native to India’s Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot. It plays a critical role in pollination and ecosystem stability. This study aimed to develop suitable trap nests and hive designs for the sustainable maintenance of T. iridipennis by analyzing its natural nesting ecology and nest architecture. Seven trap nest designs and four hive types were evaluated based on parameters including brood size, the number of honey and pollen pots, honey pot segregation, brood temperature, and percentage increase in brood volume and storage pots. Among trap nests, reused Apis cerana hives performed best, followed by bamboo slits, wooden hives, and coconut shells. Hive design significantly influenced colony development. The rectangular box with two halves showed the highest brood volume and the greatest number of honey and pollen pots, while the rectangular box with two compartments had the lowest. However, honey pot segregation –important for hygienic honey harvesting – was observed only in the Utrecht University Tobago (UTOB) hive, which had two compartments. The best-performing design for colony growth lacked segregation. Brood temperature did not vary significantly across designs. These findings suggest the rectangular box with two halves is optimal for brood and resource production, but may not support clean honey harvesting. Future designs should combine the advantages of colony development and honey pot segregation. Such tailored hive models could support the conservation and sustainable beekeeping of T. iridipennis in the Western Ghats.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Bayeta, A.G. & Hora, Z.A. (2021). Evaluation of different hive designs for domestication and conservation of native stingless bee (Apidae: Meliponula beccarii) in Ethiopia. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, 41: 1791-1798. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-020-00392-5

Bhatta, C.P., Gonzalez, V.H., Mayes, D., Simoes, M. & Smith, D.R. (2019). Nesting biology and niche modelling of Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini) in Nepal. Journal of Apicultural Research, 58: 501-511. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2019.1614729

Bhatta, C.P., Gonzalez, V.H. & Smith, D.R. (2020). Traditional uses and relative cultural importance of Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) in Nepal. Journal of Melittology, 97: 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17161/jom.vi97.13620

Brown, J.C., Mayes, D. & Bhatta, C. (2016). Observations of Africanized honeybee Apis mellifera scutellata absence and presence within and outside forests across Rondonia, Brazil. Insectes Sociaux, 63: 603-607. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-016-0506-y

Camargo, J.M.F. & Pedro, S.R.M. (2013). Meliponini Lepeletier, 1836. In: J.S. Moure, D. Urban, G.A.R. Melo (Eds.), Catalogue of Bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) in the Neotropical Region. Available at: http://www.moure.cria.org. br/catalogue?id=34631

Charanakumar, Bhatta, C.P. & Chandrashekar, J.S. (2022). Current status of meliponiculture and its cultural importance in the Western Ghats, India. Journal of Apicultural Research, 61: 706-716. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2022.2115270

Chinh, T.X., Marinus, C., Sommeijer, J., Willem, J. &Charles, D.M. (2004). Nest architecture and colony characteristics of three stingless bees in North Vietnam with the first description of the nest of Lisotrigona carpenter Engel (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Meliponini). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 78: 363-372. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2317/0409.14.1

Cortopassi-Laurino, M., Imperatriz-Fonseca, V.L., Roubik, D.W., Dollin, A., Heard, T., Aguilar, I., Venturieri, G.C., Eardley, C., Nogueira-Neto, P. & Blochtein, B. (2006). Global meliponiculture: Challenges and opportunities. Apidologie, 37: 275-292. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2006027

Danaraddi, C.S., Shashidhar, V., Basavanagouda, K. & Bhat, A.R.S. (2009). Nesting habits and nest structure of stingless bees, Trigona iridipennis (Smith) at Dharwad, Karnataka. Karnataka Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 22: 310-313. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/full/10.5555/20093330538

Engels, W., Rosenkranz, P. & Engels, E. (1995). Thermoregulation in the nest of the Neotropical stingless bee Scaptotrigona postica and a hypothesis on the evolution of temperature homeostasis in highly eusocial bees. Studies on Neotropical fauna and Environment, 30: 193-205. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01650529509360958

Fletcher, M.T., Hungerford, N.L., Webber, D., Carpinelli de Jesus, M., Zhang, J., Stone, I.S., Blanchfield, J.T. & Zawawi, N. (2020). Stingless bee honey, a novel source of trehalulose: A biologically active disaccharide with health benefits. Scientific Reports, 10: 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-68940-0

Gyeltshen, T., Bhatta, C.P., Gurung, T., Dorji, P. & Tenzin, J. (2024). Ethno-medicinal uses and cultural importance of stingless bees and their hive products in several ethnic communities of Bhutan. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 20: 42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-023-00639-8

Gunaga, S.V., Jadeyegowda, M., Kushalappa, C.G., Jhenkhar, M., Ramesh, M.N., Satish, B.N. & Dinesha S. (2025). Assessment of orchid diversity in the sacred groves of Kodagu, India’s Central Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot: implications for bio-cultural diversity management. Plant and Soil, 511: 103-117. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06765-w

Heard, T.A. (1999). The role of stingless bees in crop pollination. Annual Review of Entomology, 44: 183-206. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.44.1.183

Kumar, M.S., Singh, A., Ranjit, J.A. & Alagumuthu, G. (2012). Traditional Beekeeping of Stingless Bee (Trigona sp.) by Kani Tribes of Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 11: 342-345.

Macías-Macías, J.O., Quezada-Euán, J.J.G., Contreras-Escareño, F., Tapia-Gonzalez, J.M., Moo-Valle, H. & Ayala, R. (2011). Comparative temperature tolerance in stingless bee species from tropical highlands and lowlands of Mexico and implications for their conservation (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini). Apidologie, 42: 679-689. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-011-0074-0

Mayes, D.M., Bhatta, C. P., Shi, D., Brown, J. C., Smith, D. R. (2019). Body Size Influences Stingless Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Communities Across a Range of Deforestation Levels in Rondônia, Brazil. Journal of Insect Science, 19: 1-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iez032

Myers, N., Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., da Fonseca, G.A. & Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403: 853-858. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35002501

Noorahya, F. & Withaningsih, S. (2023). Social acceptance of stingless bee honey cultivation for sustainable bioproduction system. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1211: 012005. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1211/1/012005

Oliveira, R.C., Menezes C. & Ademilson, E. (2013). Trap-nests for stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Meliponini). Apidologie, 44: 29-37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0152-y

Pavithra, N.P., Shankar, R.M. & Jayaprakash. (2012). Nesting Pattern Preferences of Stingless Bee, Trigona iridipennis Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Jnanabharathi Campus, Karnataka, India. International Research Journal on Biological Sciences, 2: 44-50.

Rasmussen, C. (2013). Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) of the Indian subcontinent: Diversity, taxonomy and current status of knowledge. Zootaxa, 3647: 401-428. DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3647.3.1

Roopa, C.A. (2002). Bioecology of stingless bees, Trigona iridipennis (Smith), M. Sc. (Agri.) Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, pp. 132.

Roubik, D.W. (2006). Stingless bee nesting biology. Apidologie, 37:124-143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/apido:2006026

Scepankova, H., Combarros-Fuertes, P., Fresno, J.M., Tornadijo, M.E., Dias, M.S., Pinto, C.A., Jorge A.S. & Estevinho, L.M. (2021). Role of honey in advanced wound care. Molecules, 26: 4784. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26164784

Slaa, E.J. (2006). Population dynamics of a stingless bee community in the seasonal dry lowlands of Costa Rica. Insectes Sociaux, 53: 70-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-005-0837-6

Snedecor, G.W. & Cochran, W.G. (1967). Statistical Methods, The IOWA State University Press, USA, pp. 593.

Sommeijer, M.J. (1999). Beekeeping with stingless bees: a new type of hive. Bee World, 80: 70-79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.1999.11099429

Veen, J.W. & Sommeijer, M.J. (2000). Colony reproduction in Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae, Meliponini). Insectes Sociaux, 47: 70-75. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s000400050011

Warrit, N., Ascher, J., Basu, P., Belavadi, V., Brockmann, A., Buchori, D., ... & Orr, M. (2023). Opportunities and challenges in Asian bee research and conservation. Biological Conservation, 285: 110173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110173