Las abejas sin aguijón (Tribu Meliponini) en los agroecosistemas de América Latina

Meliponines are important pollinators of wild and cultivated plants in Latin America. In addition, these bees have the characteristics of a bioindicator, information necessary to develop conservation and sustainable management strategies for species of cultural, ecological, and economic importance. The objective of this work is to determine the species of meliponines that pollinate agroecosystems in Latin America and their use as bioindicators,which will serve as the basis for implementing strategies for the conservation and sustainable management of these bees. This research used sources of information related to the meliponines present in Latin America, crops they pollinate and the use of these stingless bees as bioindicators. Forty-six crops pollinated by meliponines in eight countrieswere recorded, where 17 genera and 54 species were recorded, with Brazil being the country with the highest record with 33 crops. Meliponines contribute directly to the pollination of agroecosystems, improving yield and quality, therefore it is important to establish strategies for conservation of these bees, such as maintaining flower patches that serve as food throughout the year. The protection of stingless bees is necessary because of theimportance they have in the pollination service; however, it is also needed to conductmore researchon their biology and their use in greenhouses, in addition to their usefulness as bioindicators Los meliponinos son importantes polinizadores de plantas silvestres y cultivadas en América Latina. Además, estas abejas tienencaracterísticas de un bioindicador, información necesaria para desarrollar estrategias de conservación y manejo sostenible para las especies de importancia cultural, ecológica y económica. El objetivo de este trabajo es determinar las especies de meliponinos que polinizan los agroecosistemas en América Latina y su uso como bioindicadores, lo cual servirá para implementar estrategias enla conservación y manejo sostenible de estas abejas. En esta investigación se emplearon fuentes de información relacionados con los meliponinos presentes en América Latina, cultivos que polinizan y la utilización de estas abejas sin aguijón como bioindicadores. Se registraron 46 cultivos polinizados por meliponinos en ocho países, en donde se registraron 17 géneros y 54 especies, resultando Brasil donde se tiene mayor registro con 33 cultivos. Los meliponinos contribuyen directamente con la polinización de los agroecosistemas, mejorando el