Water content of stingless bee honeys (Apidae, Meliponini): interspecific variation and comparison with honey of Apis mellifera

Honey samples were taken on both islands of the country of Trinidad and Tobago, from colonies of Melipona favosa, Melipona trinitatis, Plebeia tobagoensis, Trigona nigra and Apis mellifera. The Moisture Content (MC) of honeys of the various bee species differed significantly. The honey of the smaller species, P. tobagoensis and T. nigra, had higher MC values than that of the larger Melipona. The highest MC value was found in honey from P. tobagoensis (42.0%). The other MC values were 36.2% for T. nigra, 31.2% for M. favosa and 32.2% for M. trinitatis. The lowest MC was found in honey of A. mellifera (20.2%). There was little variation between colonies of the same species at the same site, but honey of M. favosa from Trinidad had a higher MC (35.1%) than that from Tobago (30.2%). The finding that the MC of honeys of stingless bee species varies according to the species and to the area where it is produced, complicates the establishment of a quality standard for these honeys