The stingless bees are one of the most diverse, attractive, fascinating, conspicuous and useful of all the insect groups of the tropical world. This is a formidable and contentious claim but I believe it can be backed up. They are fifty times more species rich than the honey bees, the other tribe of highly eusocial bees. They are ubiquitous in the tropics and thrive in tropical cities. In rural areas, they nest in a diversity of sites and are found on the flowers of a broad diversity of crop plants. Their role in natural systems is barely studied but they almost certainly deserve that hallowed title of keystone species. They are popular with the general public and are greatly appreciated in zoos and gardens. The chapters of this book provide abundant further evidence of the ecological and economic importance of stingless bees.
From the reviews:
"This up-to-date treatise ... contains an impressive amount of information about the stingless bees of the world. ... contributors provide detailed information about the diversity, cultural and historical influence, biology, and ecology of these bees throughout the work. ... it is a must-have for bee and honey researchers, students, and enthusiasts. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; general readers." (J. M. Gonzalez, Choice, Vol. 51 (1), September, 2013)
"This new publication is one of the first books specifically devoted to stingless bees. It is certainly the first to focus on the honey produced by this group of insects. ... The chapters of this book provide abundant evidence of ecological and economic importance of the stingless bees. ... this book provides enough knowledge to stimulate the realization of the nutritional and medicinal potential of pot honey." (Tim A. Heard, Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, Vol. 62 (4), 2012)
"This up-to-date treatise ... contains an impressive amount of information about the stingless bees of the world. ... contributors provide detailed information about the diversity, cultural and historical influence, biology, and ecology of these bees throughout the work. ... it is a must-have for bee and honey researchers, students, and enthusiasts. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above; general readers." (J. M. Gonzalez, Choice, Vol. 51 (1), September, 2013)
"This new publication is one of the first books specifically devoted to stingless bees. It is certainly the first to focus on the honey produced by this group of insects. ... The chapters of this book provide abundant evidence of ecological and economic importance of the stingless bees. ... this book provides enough knowledge to stimulate the realization of the nutritional and medicinal potential of pot honey." (Tim A. Heard, Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, Vol. 62 (4), 2012)