Lestrimelitta niitkib Ayala 1999 (Hymenoptera: Apidae): A thief bee raiding hives in Cerro Mirador, Oaxaca

Stingless bees play an important ecological and economic role as pollinators, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. However, some species exhibit cleptobiotic behavior, threatening managed and wild colonies. The genus Lestrimelitta comprises a group of stingless bees that rely on resources obtained by invading other bees. This study reports Lestrimelitta niitkib Ayala 1999 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) as a species that raids the hives of Scaptotrigona mexicana (Guérin-Meneville 1845) and S. pectoralis (Dalla Torre 1896) in Cerro Mirador, Oaxaca. The identification of L. niitkib was performed through morphological characterization and sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) gene. This finding is significant because L. niitkib not only invades but eliminates the bees in the colonies it attacks, leading to the destruction of 20 hives managed by a local meliponiculturist.