Stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) of the Bela Vista Biological Refuge, Foz do Iguaçu, PR

We present an inventory based on 17 months of sampling at a strategic site within the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion, the largest among the regions of the Atlantic Forest. Including areas of 30-year-old forest restoration, our study qualitatively and quantitatively assesses the Meliponini (Apidae) species composition. Sampling involved periodical and discriminate sweep net collection in blooming plants. A total of 442 specimens from eight species and seven genera within Meliponini were recorded: Scaptotrigona depilis (31.4%), Plebeia droryana (26.7%), Trigona spinipes (25.8%), Tetragonisca fiebrigi (6.8%), Tetragona clavipes (4.8%), P. nigriceps (3.4%), Schwarziana quadripunctata (0.7%), and Melipona quadrifasciata (0.5%). The dominance of S. depilis suggests its potential for meliponiculture in the region. While P. nigriceps is established, its natural or introduced status remains unclear. The anthropized area supports the highest Meliponini diversity and holds promise for zootechnical strategies. Our findings, contextualized with previous distribution records, contribute to local conservation and restoration efforts and inform public policies regulating meliponiculture. Given our robust sampling effort, the Meliponini fauna composition observed provides a reliable diagnostic framework for the region