A Review of Habitat and Altitudinal Distribution of Stingless Bee Species in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the habitat and altitudinal distribution of stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) in Indonesia, filling the gap left by previous regional studies that lack a broader synthesis of species composition and diversity. This study utilized the PRISMA framework to conduct a meta-synthesis of existing literature, systematically documenting the selection process for both published and unpublished records. The distributions showed that 32 species were distributed in the lowlands, 16 in the midlands, and 17 in the highlands, with the majority of these species occurring in secondary forests (75%), and holes in trees were the most common nesting sites (34.37%). Although current data indicate higher species abundance in secondary forests, we argue that this pattern may represent sampling bias rather than true biological preferences. The structural complexity and high canopy of primary forests likely obscure nesting sites, leading to systematically lower estimates of colony densities in undisturbed habitats than in secondary forests, where nests are more easily observed. Our review highlights how human disturbance and land-use change alter species composition and shift distribution patterns across elevations.