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A Global Review of the Pests and Diseases of Stingless Bees
Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW 2753, Australia
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Insects 2026, 17(6), 619; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17060619
Submission received: 27 February 2026
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Revised: 28 May 2026
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Accepted: 5 June 2026
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Published: 11 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Pathogens as Biocontrol Agents Against Pests)
Simple Summary
Farmers of many pollinator-dependent crops utilize managed pollinators. However, globally, there is heavy reliance on a single species, the western honey bee (Apis mellifera), placing crop productivity at risk from shocks that impact honey bees. Stingless bees (Apidae; tribe Meliponini) are a highly diverse group of eusocial bees that share many of the traits that make honey bees ideal managed pollinators and could serve as a valuable substitute or additional pollinator for some warm-climate crops. However, information is limited on the pests and diseases that stingless bees face. This paper is a comprehensive review of published stingless bee pest and disease research; we found 48 studies examining arthropod pests and 28 examining diseases. There has been high research interest in resource stealing by other bees, in mites (Acari), and in the small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), but these are not necessarily the most widespread or damaging pests. Indeed, much of the research reviewed shows uncertainty about whether potential pests actually cause hive collapse in stingless bees or simply co-occur with unhealthy hives. While many viruses of honey bees can be found in stingless bees, most research results failed to determine if these viruses cause disease symptoms in stingless bees. This review concluded that there is a substantial knowledge gap regarding the harms that pests and pathogens may cause to stingless bees.
Abstract
Managed pollinators are essential to agricultural productivity, but there are concerns that overreliance on western honey bees (Apis mellifera) places this productivity at risk. Stingless bees (Apidae; tribe Meliponini) can supplement or replace honey bees as pollinators in some warm climate crops, but information is limited regarding the pests and diseases that they face. This paper reviews the existing research literature on the subject. We found 48 studies on arthropod pests and 28 on microbial diseases of stingless bees. There has been a relatively high research interest in mites (Acari) and small hive beetles (Aethina tumida); however, neither of these organisms are major pests of stingless bees. This high research interest likely results from their impact on honey bees and their novelty as newly arrived invasive species in many regions. Cleptoparasitic bees have also been highly researched. The most widely researched diseases were viruses. However, while many widespread honey bee viruses have been found in stingless bees, few studies examined whether these produced symptoms in stingless bees. For many suspected pests and pathogens, there is uncertainty regarding whether their relationship with hive collapse is causal or merely correlative. We conclude that pests and diseases of stingless bees are very under-researched compared to those of honey bees. This knowledge gap will need to be addressed if stingless bees are to serve an expanded role as managed agricultural pollinators.
