Native Brazilian bees are among the most affected by pesticides used in agriculture

Native Brazilian bees are among the most affected by pesticides used in agriculture. However, regulations in Brazil are designed to protect only one introduced species, Apis mellifera. Researchers from Unesp's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science and Southern Cross University in Australia reviewed 115 toxicity experiments involving stingless bees. In 72% of these tests, native stingless bees, known as meliponines, were more sensitive to pesticides than Apis mellifera.

The study, published in Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, emphasizes that regulatory decisions should not rely on a single bee model. The review covered only 24 native bee species out of over 300 in Brazil and did not include new laboratory tests.