Trigona hyalinata

Systematic position: Trigona hyalinata is a species of stingless bee belonging to the family Apidae, subfamily Meliponinae. While many stingless bees are beneficial pollinators, Trigona hyalinata is recognized as an agricultural pest in parts of South America due to its destructive behavior toward specific plant species.

Host plants: This species primarily damages citrus orchards, including oranges, lemons, and limes. It is also known to cause significant damage to coffee plants and various tropical fruit trees, posing a threat to both smallholder and industrial agricultural systems in its range.

Biology and life cycle: Like other stingless bees, Trigona hyalinata lives in complex social colonies with a queen and numerous workers. They construct their nests in tree cavities using a mix of wax, resin, and soil. Their life cycle is perennial, and the colonies are highly active year-round, continuously seeking building materials and food resources.

Damage and pest status: The pest status is derived from the insects' aggressive collection of plant materials. They use their mandibles to scrape bark from young twigs and skin from immature fruit. This behavior creates open wounds on the plants, which often become sites for secondary infections, leading to necrosis, fruit deformation, and reduced overall harvest yield.

Control measures: Effective management of Trigona hyalinata requires a combination of monitoring and physical exclusion strategies:

• Mapping and destroying nesting sites in the vicinity of protected orchards.
• Applying non-toxic repellent sprays to young growth to deter foraging.
• Utilizing mechanical barriers to prevent insects from accessing ripening fruit.
• Promoting local biodiversity to provide natural alternatives to the resin and fibers they seek in orchards.