Identification of stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in Kenya using Morphometrics and DNA barcoding

Stingless bees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops. The identity of stingless bee species in Africa has not been fully documented. The present study explored the utility of morphometrics and DNA barcoding for identification of African stingless bee populations, and to further employ these tools to identify potential cryptic variation within species. Stingless bee samples were collected from three ecological zones, namely Kakamega Forest, Mwingi and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, which are geographically distant and cover high, medium and low altitudes, respectively. Forewing and hind leg morphometric characters were measured to determine the extent of morphological variation between the populations. DNA barcodes were generated from the mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase I (COI) gene. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on the morphometric measurements separated the bee samples into three clusters: (1) Meliponula bocandei; (2) Meliponula lendliana + Plebeina hildebrandti; (3) Dactylurina schmidti + Meliponula ferruginea black + Meliponula ferruginea reddish brown, but Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) separated all the species except the two morphospecies (M. ferruginea reddish brown and black). The analysis of the COI sequences showed that DNA barcoding can be used to identify all the species studied and revealed remarkable genetic distance (7.3%) between the two M. ferruginea morphs. This is the first genetic evidence that M. ferruginea black and M. ferruginea reddish brown are separate species

Analysis of Honey Bee Hive Products as a Model for Monitoring Pesticide Usage in Agroecosystems

Global food and nutritional security majorly rely on honey bees for pollination. Furthermore, honey bees (Apis mellifera), are considered as reliable biological indicators of environmental contamination because they pick up chemical pollutants in the air or in flowers as they search for food. As a result, the honey bee colony environment acts as a reservoir for a diversity of resources of floral origin and therefore analyzing hive products is more cost effective compared to monitoring individual crops. Effective methods for monitoring agrochemicals contamination in the environment can therefore be achieved by continuous analysis of honey bee products. We investigated pesticide residues in honey and pollen collected from honey bee hives in various agro-ecological zones across Kenya over a period of two years (September 2013 to August 2015) to determine the circulating organic chemical pollutants in the environment. A total of 36 pesticide residues were detected belonging to three chemical classes; insecticides (>50%) fungicides (27%) and herbicides (20%) with majority of the pesticides detected in pollen compared to honey. Although herbicides appeared to be the least prevalent, they were detected at the highest concentrations of up to 356 ppb in honey compared to insecticides which were detected at fairly low concentrations (0.1 to 53 ppb). Our findings highlight the need to create greater awareness of the ecological consequences of wide scale use of agro-chemicals in agriculture.  Keywords: Pesticide residues, honey bees (Apis mellifera), honey and polle

Black soldier fly-composted organic fertilizer enhances growth, yield, and nutrient quality of three key vegetable crops in Sub-Saharan Africa

Norwegian Agency for Development CooperationNetherlands Organization for Scientific ResearchWOTRO Science for Global Development (NWO-WOTRO)Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)Rockefeller Foundatio

Teneur en protéines et profils d'acides aminés d'espèces d'insectes comestibles sélectionnées de la République démocratique du Congo pertinentes pour le commerce transfrontalier à travers l'Afrique.

peer reviewedThis study analyzed the protein content of ten edible insect species (using the Dumas method), then focused on the amino acid (AA) profiles of the six major commercially relevant species using HPLC (high-pressure (or performance) liquid chromatography). The protein contents varied significantly from 46.1% to 52.9% (dry matter); the Orthoptera representative yielding both the highest protein content and the highest values in three essential amino acids (EAAs). Regarding Lepidoptera species, the protein content of Saturniidae varied more than for Notodontidae. Imbrasia ertli gave the best example of a species that could be suggested for dietary supplementation of cereal-based diets, as the sample contained the highest values in five EAAs and for the EAA index. Furthermore, first-limiting AAs in the selected insects have also been pointed out (based on a species-specific AA score), supporting that the real benefit from eating insects is correlated to a varied diet. Additionally, preliminary insights into AA distribution patterns according to taxa provided three clusters based on protein quality and should be completed further to help tailor prescriptions of dietary diets. Since the AA composition of the selected insects was close to the FAO/WHO EAA requirement pattern for preschool children and met the requirements of 40% EAAs with high ratio EAAs/NEAAs, the current study endorses reports of edible insects as nutrient-rich and sustainable protein sources.2. Zero hunge

Loss and gain of gut bacterial phylotype symbionts in afrotropical stingless bee species (Apidae: Meliponinae)

Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) are the most diverse group of corbiculate bees and are important managed and wild pollinators distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. However, little is known about their associated beneficial microbes that play major roles in host nutrition, detoxification, growth, activation of immune responses, and protection against pathogens in their sister groups, honeybees and bumble bees. Here, we provide an initial characterization of the gut bacterial microbiota of eight stingless bee species from sub-Saharan Africa using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Our findings revealed that Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the dominant and conserved phyla across the eight stingless bee species. Additionally, we found significant geographical and host intra-species-specific bacterial diversity. Notably, African strains showed significant phylogenetic clustering when compared with strains from other continents, and each stingless bee species has its own microbial composition with its own dominant bacterial genus. Our results suggest host selective mechanisms maintain distinct gut communities among sympatric species and thus constitute an important resource for future studies on bee health management and host-microbe co-evolution and adaptation.Figure S1: Alpha rarefaction curve. Figure S2: Gut bacterial genera associated with each of the eight stingless bee species in Kenya. Figure S3: Bacterial alpha diversity did not correlate with the stingless bee size. Table S1: 16S rRNA sequencing data analysis (Excel file).Supplementary material: Figure S1: Alpha rarefaction curve. Figure S2: Gut bacterial genera associated with each of the eight stingless bee species in Kenya. Figure S3: Bacterial alpha diversity did not correlate with the stingless bee size. Table S1: 16S rRNA sequencing data analysis (Excel file).The Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoc Mobility, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Section for Research, Innovation, and Higher Education and by icipe core donors.https://www.mdpi.com/journal/microorganismsam2022BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant Patholog

Traditional ecological knowledge and non-food uses of stingless bee honey in Kenya’s last pocket of tropical rainforest

Abstract Background Stingless bee honey (SBH) is a natural remedy and therapeutic agent traditionally used by local communities across the (sub-)tropics. Forest SBH represents a prime non-timber forest product (NTFP) with a potential to revitalize indigenous foodways and to generate income in rural areas, yet it is also used in a variety of non-food contexts that are poorly documented in sub-Saharan Africa and that collectively represent a significant part of the local traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) passed on across generations. Documenting TEK of local communities in African tropical forests facing global change is a pressing issue to recognize the value of their insights, to evaluate their sustainability, to determine how they contribute to enhancing conservation efforts, and how TEK generally contributes to the well-being of both the natural environment and the communities that rely on it. This is particularly important to achieve in Kenya’s only tropical rainforest at Kakamega where SBH production and non-food uses have evolved and diversified to a remarkable extent. Methods We used ethnographic techniques and methods, including semi-structured questionnaires and recorded interviews. We used snowball sampling, a non-probability sampling method where new interviewees were recruited by other respondents, to collectively form a sample consisting of 36 interviewees (including only one woman). Results Our results indicate that local communities in Kakamega were able to discriminate between six different and scientifically recognized stingless bee species, and they provided detailed accounts on the species-specific non-food uses of these SBH. Collectively, we recorded an array of 26 different non-food uses that are all passed on orally across generations in the Kakamega community. Conclusion Our results uncover the vast and hitherto unexpected diversity of TEK associated with SBH and pave the way for a systematic survey of SBH and their non-food uses across a network of communities in different environments and with different cultural backgrounds in the Afrotropics. This, along with parallel and more in-depth investigations into honey chemistry, will help develop a comprehensive understanding of SBH, offering insights into holistic ecosystem management, resilience and adaptation while in the mid- to long-term promoting cross-cultural exchanges and pathways for the revitalization of cultural practices and traditions

A vertical compartmented hive design effective to reduce post-harvest colony loss in Afrotropical stingless bee species (Apidae: Meliponinae)

Domestication of Meliponinae in log hive or simple box has often been used in Africa. However, colonyloss in these two hive types due to pest infestation after honey harvesting still occurs. We hypothesized that the two hive types were the probable causes for the infestations.We designed and assessed the hive acceptance andpostharvest colony losses of three Afrotropical Meliponinae namely Plebeina hildebrandti, Meliponula bocandei and two M. ferruginea morpho-speciesin a vertical compartmented hive (called the icipe-4M), as an alternative. We observed that P. hildebrandti had the lowest acceptance rate compared to the other species. However, all the bee species occupied the different hive compartments (brood and honey chamber) of the hive. Postharvest loss was lower in M. bocandei and the reddish brown M. ferrugineamorpho-species. Average honey yieldand honey composition were also evaluatedper species. Annually, M. bocandei produced more honey followed by M. ferruginea morpho-speciesandP. hildebrandti. Honey composition also varied among the species.We recommend that rural communities switch to using the icipe-4M hive to domesticate these stingless bee species, to decrease the losses of brood to pests, and increase the yields of harvested honey in domestication

Impact of habitat degradation on species diversity and nest abundance of five African stingless bee species in a tropical rainforest of Kenya

Natural habitat degradation often involves the reduction or disappearance of bee species. In Africa, stingless bees are hunted for honey, which is used as food, for medicinal purposes, and for traditional rituals. Severe habitat degradation due to human settlement is hypothesized to have a negative impact on the species diversity of the African stingless bee species. In this paper, we assess the impact of habitat degradation on the diversity of five stingless bee species across different habitats in the tropical rainforest of Kenya (indigenous forest, mixed indigenous forest) and its neighbouring landscape (grassland, village) in western Kenya. The species fauna, nest occurrence, and species diversity of the stingless bee species varied across the different habitats. The number of nesting habitats of the meliponine species varied between habitats in the tropical rainforest. Meliponula ferruginea (reddish brown) nested in five habitats, while Meliponula bocandei and Meliponula ferruginea (black) nested only in two habitat types. The species richness decreased within the different types of habitats and the indigenous and mixed indigenous forest contained more species than other habitats. The fauna composition in both homesteads was exclusively similar, while the indigenous and mixed indigenous forests were mostly similar. Similarity in habitat preferences for nesting was revealed between M. bocandei vs Plebeina hildebrandti and M. ferruginea (reddish brown) vs Hypotrigona gribodoi. The natural native indigenous forest had the most diverse community compared to the degraded habitats. There are taxon-specific responses to habitat change; and in our study, there is clear value in conserving the native indigenous forest