The tribe Meliponini belongs to the group of corbiculate
bees (subfamily Apinae) and encompasses all the
bees known as ‘stingless bees’, found throughout the
tropical and subtropical areas of the world [1]. They
are the major visitors and native pollinators of
flowering plants in the tropics, comprising a large
group of small to medium sized bees (from 2 mm up
to 1.5 cm) with a level of social organization comparable
to that of the common honeybee Apis mellifera [2].
Stingless bees are considered of vital importance for
ecosystems, due to their efficiency as agents pollinators.
According to Roubik [3], effectiveness in the
reproductive cycle of the majority of the native plant
species in the tropical regions is strongly connected
with the great variability in size of these bees.
Moreover, bee pollination may help reducing the process
of habitat fragmentation or at least overcoming its
problems for rainforest plant species.
According to historical references, the Muiscas
Indians of the highlands of Eastern Colombia cultivated
stingles bees and added their honey to sweeten
‘chicha’, a fermented corn drink used for ritual purposes
and consumed in large quantities during religious
festivals. They also applied the wax in goldsmith
workshops. Another group of Indians, the Tayrona,
aborigines of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
(Colombian Caribbean coast), were experts in cultivating