Heterotrigona
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| Heterotrigona | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Heterotrigona itama | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Clade: | Corbiculata |
| Tribe: | Meliponini |
| Genus: | Heterotrigona Schwarz, 1939 |
Heterotrigona is a genus of stingless bees in the tribe Meliponini (family Apidae), native to Southeast Asia and adjacent regions.[1][2][3]
The genus was described by Schwarz in 1939. It comprises small to medium-sized species, morphologically close to the genus Homotrigona, but generally smaller and with reduced mandibles.[4]
Species of Heterotrigona are distributed mainly across South and Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Borneo and the Philippines, extending to Papua New Guinea.[1] They are eusocial bees that nest in tree cavities or artificial structures and are widely used in meliponiculture for the production of honey, propolis, and as agricultural pollinators.[5]
The most well-known and economically important species is Heterotrigona itama (Cockerell, 1918), a predominantly black species widely managed in commercial colonies across Southeast Asia.[5]
Approximately 15 species are currently recognized.