Melitophilous Homegardens as Ecological Refuges for the Conservation of Melipona subnitida Ducke (Apidae: Meliponini) in the Caatinga

Abstract

The Jandaíra bee (Melipona subnitida) is an endemic stingless bee crucial for pollination services in the Brazilian Caatinga. However, severe climate seasonality and anthropogenic habitat fragmentation threaten its survival by reducing nesting and foraging resources. This study analyzes the role of melitophilous homegardens as strategic anthropic ecological refuges for the biological conservation of M. subnitida. An integrative literature review was conducted across Scopus, SciELO, Periódicos CAPES, and Google Scholar databases using specific boolean equations. After a systematic screening process based on rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, a final corpus of 26 high-impact scientific documents was selected and analyzed. The literature demonstrates that managed homegardens act as environmental buffers against the severe off-season drought. By introducing irrigated, asynchronous, or perennial flora, these agroecosystems break the nutritional bottleneck, ensuring continuous pollen and nectar flow. Structurally, the multi-stratum canopy provides shade that dampens ambient temperatures by up to 6°C, mitigating lethal colony thermal stress. Geographically, these spaces operate as vital stepping stones, lowering matrix resistance, extending safe foraging ranges, and facilitating gene flow to counteract inbreeding depression caused by landscape fragmentation. Melitophilous homegardens function as a decentralized green infrastructure indispensable for the in situ and ex situ conservation of M. subnitida. Intersectoral public policies supporting technical training and native flora distribution are urgently needed to scale up this conservationist meliponiculture practice across the Semi-Arid region.