Guarani folk taxonomy sheds new light on stingless-bee conservation priorities in Neotropical agrofrontiers

Guarani folk taxonomy sheds new light on stingless-bee conservation priorities in Neotropical agrofrontiers | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Guarani folk taxonomy sheds new light on stingless-bee conservation priorities in Neotropical agrofrontiers Walkiria Aparecida Benites, Laura Jane Gisloti This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7093749/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 9 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Stingless bees (Meliponini) are keystone pollinators crucial to ecosystem health in the Neotropics, yet they remain underrepresented in Brazilian conservation policies. We conducted a scoping review synthesizing Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) about stingless bees from five studies (2005–2021). Guarani experts recognize 24 distinct ethnospecies (29 vernacular names), intricately linked to their cosmological beliefs and agroforestry practices. Three culturally embedded management strategies were highlighted: selective honey harvesting synchronized with lunar and brood cycles, nest translocation from endangered trees to safer habitats, and strategic hive placement in crop–forest ecotones to optimize pollination and habitat connectivity. Participants consistently identified deforestation driven by soybean expansion, pesticide drift, and habitat fragmentation as primary threats. However, the absence of quantitative colony data in reviewed studies represents a significant limitation for formal conservation assessments. To bridge this gap, we recommend participatory monitoring programs co-designed with Guarani communities, combining indigenous folk classifications and colony health metrics. Implementing these strategies within Brazil’s National Pollinator Plan could directly mitigate stingless bee decline in rapidly expanding agricultural frontiers, promote indigenous territorial rights, and enhance policy effectiveness and biocultural resilience. Implications for insect conservation : Coupling Guarani folk taxonomy with quantitative monitoring can address critical data deficiencies, guide evidence-based conservation policies, and protect biocultural diversity across threatened Neotropical regions. Biocultural diversity Land-use change Participatory monitoring Pollinator conservation Soy frontier Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Stingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) comprise over 550 described species, about 80% of which are Neotropical endemics (Engel et al. 2023 ; Li et al. 2024 ). Globally recognized as keystone pollinators, they sustain forest regeneration and enhance yields of economically vital crops such as açaí, coffee, mango, and avocado, crucial for food security and rural economies in tropical regions worldwide (Hipólito et al. 2019 ; González-Tokman et al. 2020 ). Meliponiculture, involving colony division and relocation, supports rural livelihoods not only across Latin America but increasingly in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, underscoring the global conservation significance of these pollinators (Ocaña-Cabrera et al. 2024 ). Despite their ecological and economic importance, Meliponini populations face severe declines driven by habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate change (Dicks et al. 2021 ; Potts et al. 2016 ). In Brazil’s soy frontier, over 1 million hectares of native vegetation were cleared between 2010 and 2020, pesticide drift routinely penetrates Indigenous territories, and colony losses can reach 40% per year (Song et al. 2021 ; Requier et al. 2024 ; MapBiomas 2025 ). Conservation strategies, therefore, require approaches that are both ecologically robust and culturally legitimate. Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), grounded in place-based, long-term ecological observations and cosmologies of reciprocity, can effectively address this challenge. When integrated into multiple-evidence-based frameworks, TEK significantly enhances conservation outcomes and contributes to global biodiversity targets, aligning with initiatives such as the UN International Year of Pollinators (Tengö et al. 2014 ; Trisos et al. 2021 ). Specifically for stingless bees, TEK provides valuable insights into fine-scale nesting preferences, sustainable honey harvesting practices, and habitat management (Sandroni 2023 ). The Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá peoples possess particularly detailed ethnoentomological knowledge, viewing bees as kin and critical indicators of forest health. Meliponiculture practices among the Guarani are deeply embedded in ritual honey feasts and land stewardship traditions (Gisloti et al. 2025 ). Accelerated deforestation within Atlantic Forest remnants poses a significant threat to both stingless bee diversity and Guarani cultural resilience. Yet, a synthesis linking the rich Guarani stingless-bee ethnospecies diversity, culturally embedded practices, and perceived threats remains lacking—hampering the effective integration of Indigenous TEK into national and global pollinator conservation frameworks. In this context, our study addresses three central questions: (i) Which stingless-bee ethnospecies and their Linnaean counterparts are recognized by Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá knowledge holders? (ii) Which traditional management strategies and perceived threats are reported? (iii) How can these insights effectively inform and strengthen regional, national, and international pollinator conservation policies? Methods Protocol and reporting standards. This scoping review followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR; Tricco et al. 2018 ) and methodological guidance from the Joanna Briggs Institute manual (Aromataris & Munn 2020 ). The protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/7AMGY ), and the completed PRISMA-ScR checklist is provided as Online Resource 3. Search strategy. We searched Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) on 2 May 2025 and updated the search on 19 June 2025 (UTC–03:00). No limits on year, language, or document type were applied. The Boolean expression—Topic or Title/Abstract/Keyword fields—was: ("stingless bee*" OR Meliponini OR "abelh* sem ferrão*") AND (conservation OR conservação). Detailed, platform-specific syntaxes and logs appear in Online Resource 1. We hand-searched reference lists of all eligible records and consulted three regional meliponiculture experts for grey literature. Eligibility criteria. Records were included when they (i) presented original empirical data on stingless bees (Meliponini) associated with Guarani Mbya, Kaiowá, or Ñandeva peoples and (ii) explicitly linked traditional knowledge to bee use, management, or conservation. We excluded studies lacking Guarani-specific information, those focused solely on Apis or other non-meliponine taxa, and narrative reviews. Selection process. References were imported into Zotero, and duplicates were removed automatically (DOI) or manually (exact title + first author + year). Two reviewers (LJG, WB) independently screened titles/abstracts and full texts. Inter-reviewer agreement on a random 20% subset was strong (Cohen’s κ = 0.82; 95% CI 0.71–0.93). Discrepancies (< 5%) were resolved by consensus. A PRISMA-ScR flow diagram of the process is shown in Fig. 1 . Data extraction and charting. We used a piloted form to record authorship, year, document type, Guarani subgroup, biome, methodological approach, number of ethnospecies, cultural uses, management strategies, and perceived threats. Extraction sheets are provided in Online Resource 2. A second reviewer recoded 20% of entries (κ = 0.78; 95% CI 0.65–0.91). Quality appraisal. Methodological quality was assessed with the 10-item JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Scores ranged from 7 to 10 (mean ± SD = 7.6 ± 0.9). Detailed results appear in Online Resource 4 and informed the sensitivity analysis. Studies classified as moderate quality (JBI score = 7) may introduce some limitations regarding the robustness of the findings, particularly in the level of detail and completeness of qualitative reporting. Data synthesis. Quantitative descriptors (publication year, geographic distribution, ethnospecies richness) were summarised in R v4.3.2 using tidyverse v2.0.0 (Wickham et al. 2019 ) and janitor v2.2.0 (Firke 2023 ). Annotated R scripts and the aggregated dataset are in Online Resource 5. Qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis in NVivo 14 following Braun and Clarke’s ( 2019 ) six-phase protocol. Excluding studies with moderate quality (JBI < 8; n = 3) did not change median ethnospecies richness or theme rankings (Online Resource 7). Identifications of stingless bee ethnospecies were inferred without direct voucher specimens, based solely on ethnoentomological methods (e.g., interviews, workshops, guided walks), cross-referenced with regional taxonomic keys. Ethical considerations. Only publicly available documents were analysed; no new interactions with Indigenous communities occurred. Formal free, prior, and informed consent was therefore unnecessary, but all recommendations respect Indigenous data sovereignty (CARE Principles) and will guide future participatory research requiring FPIC. Results Study selection. Database and grey-literature searches retrieved 19 records. After removing duplicates (n = 2), 17 unique records were screened and 12 were excluded for lacking Guarani-specific information or focusing on non-meliponine bees. Five publications met all eligibility criteria (Fig. 1). Study characteristics. The five studies encompass three master’s dissertations, one ethnographic monograph, and one practitioner-oriented booklet published between 2005 and 2021 (Table 1). Four were conducted with Guarani Mbya communities in Atlantic-Forest remnants and one with Guarani Kaiowá communities in the Cerrado–Atlantic-Forest ecotone of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (Fig. 2). These regions represent critical conservation hotspots due to high biodiversity, ongoing deforestation pressures, and significant overlap with Indigenous territories, thus providing valuable insights for targeted stingless bee conservation efforts. Methodological quality (mean ± SD JBI score = 7.6 ± 0.9) classified two studies as high quality (scores ≥ 8) and three as moderate quality (score 7; see Online Resource 4). However, the limited number of studies (n = 5) constrains the generalizability and depth of our synthesis. Table 1 Overview of primary studies documenting Guarani stingless-bee traditional ecological knowledge. Author (year) Document type Guarani group Biome / Location Participants (n) Main methods* Ethnospecies† JBI quality Rodrigues (2005) MSc thesis Mbya Atlantic Forest, São Paulo, BR 28 SSI, FL, GW 13 High Ballivián (2008) Booklet Mbya Atlantic Forest, Rio Grande do Sul, BR ≈60 CI, FD 2 Moderate Cebolla Badie (2009) Monograph Mbya Atlantic Forest, Misiones, AR 17 families PO 17 Moderate Damasco Nunes (2021) MSc thesis Mbya Atlantic Forest, Paraná, BR 35 WS, SSI 10 Moderate Pedro (2021) MSc thesis Kaiowá Cerrado–Atlantic Forest ecotone, Mato Grosso do Sul, BR 22 SSI, GW 5 High CI community interview; FD field demonstration; FL free listing; GW guided walk; PO participant observation; SSI semi-structured interview; WS workshop; percentage values in Tables 2–3 are calculated from n = 5 studies. Ethnospecies richness. Guarani participants recognised 24 stingless-bee ethnospecies represented by 29 vernacular names (Online Resource 6). Richness per study ranged from 2 to 17 ethnospecies (median = 10). Two ethnospecies—Jate’i (Tetragonisca angustula) and Mandori (Melipona marginata)—occurred in four studies, underscoring their cultural ubiquity. Taxonomic certainty classified 15 ethnospecies as confirmed, six as probable, and three as uncertain according to criteria detailed in the Methods. Traditional management practices. All studies documented at least one practice aimed at maintaining stingless-bee populations (Table 2). Selective honey harvesting timed to lunar or brood cycles was universal, indicating strong cultural and ecological coherence for sustainable harvesting practices. Nest translocation (80%) and hive placement in crop–forest ecotones (60%) highlight practical approaches to enhance pollination efficiency and mitigate habitat fragmentation impacts. Ritual honey use (40%) underscores cultural dimensions of bee management, and rational hive introduction (20%) suggests potential avenues for technical collaboration and extension efforts. Table 2 Traditional management practices documented across Guarani communities. Management practice Studies (n=5) Frequency (%) Guarani groups Selective honey harvests timed with lunar or brood cycles 5 100% Mbya, Kaiowá Nest translocation to refuge trees 4 80% Mbya, Kaiowá Hive placement at crop–forest ecotones 3 60% Mbya Ritual honey use 2 40% Mbya Introduction of rational hives 1 20% Mbya Perceived threats to colonies. Habitat loss—chiefly driven by soy expansion—was reported in all studies (100 %), pesticide drift in three (60 %) and native-forest replacement by eucalyptus or commercial logging in two (40 %) (Table 3). Table 3 Threats to stingless-bee colonies as identified by Guarani participants. Threat category Studies (n=5) Frequency (%) Representative examples Deforestation and land-clearing 5 100% Soy expansion, urbanization Pesticide drift 3 60% Aerial spraying (glyphosate, pyrethroids) Commercial logging / eucalyptus plantations 2 40% Native forest replacement Deforestation and land-clearing 5 100% Soy expansion, urbanization Sensitivity analysis. Habitat loss—primarily driven by soybean expansion—was identified in all studies (100 %), whereas pesticide drift appeared in three (60 %) and the replacement of native forest by eucalyptus plantations or commercial logging in two (40 %) (Table 3). Omitting the three moderate-quality studies (JBI < 8; n = 3) left the median ethnospecies richness unchanged at 10 and did not affect the relative ranking of management practices or perceived threats (Online Resource 7). Discussion Taxonomic insights from Guarani folk classification . Our review documents 24 stingless-bee ethnospecies and 29 vernacular names recognised by Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá beekeepers—nearly an order of magnitude richer than the eight to ten species typically recorded in conventional surveys of the Upper Paraná basin (Correia-Oliveira & Oliveira 2014 ). Similar depth has been observed among Maya stingless-bee keepers in Mexico, where commercial meliponiculture now threatens local diversity (Quezada-Euán et al. 2022 ). Furthermore, Ashaninka communities in the Peruvian Amazon also demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of stingless bee biodiversity and management, emphasizing the global significance of Indigenous taxonomic acuity for conservation (Athayde et al. 2017 ). The Guarani dataset thus expands regional biodiversity baselines and underscores the critical importance of incorporating emic classifications into formal biodiversity inventories. Two ethnospecies illustrate this clearly: Jate’i ( Tetragonisca angustula ) is highly valued for medicinal honey utilized in pediatric care (Pedro et al. 2023 ), whereas Mandori ( Melipona marginata ) provides essential ritual wax for ceremonial practices (Gisloti et al. 2025 ). Both qualify as cultural keystone species (Coe & Gaoue 2020 ), warranting priority consideration in national red-list assessments. Biocultural management and colony resilience. Three predominant management strategies—lunar-timed selective harvesting, nest translocation to refuge trees, and hive placement along crop–forest ecotones—were documented in at least 60% of the studies. Such traditional practices integrate ecological stewardship with ritualistic responsibilities, and Guarani beekeepers credit these methods with significantly reducing colony losses during environmental stresses such as droughts and extreme weather events. Similar positive outcomes have been documented in Amazonian participatory meliponiculture projects, affirming the broad applicability of Indigenous ecological knowledge (Athayde et al. 2017 ). Thus, the integration of these culturally grounded strategies into Brazil’s National Pollinator Plan and voluntary sustainability standards could deliver immediate and culturally relevant conservation outcomes (Sandroni 2023 ). Drivers of decline: local realities match global trends. Guarani communities consistently identified habitat loss due to soybean expansion as the primary threat, followed by pesticide drift and the replacement of native forests with eucalyptus plantations. These local insights align with global analyses identifying land-use change and agrochemical contamination as the leading pressures on pollinator populations worldwide (Dicks et al. 2021 ). Evidence from remote sensing further highlights that Indigenous territories typically maintain higher habitat integrity compared to surrounding private agricultural lands (Qin et al. 2023 ). Immediate policy interventions such as establishing pesticide-free buffer zones around Indigenous territories, strengthening enforcement against illegal deforestation, and incentivizing agroecological farming practices could significantly enhance both pollinator conservation and Indigenous territorial sovereignty. Participatory monitoring closes methodological gaps. None of the reviewed studies included quantitative data on colony density, brood health, or nest survival—key metrics for formal IUCN assessments. Innovative methodologies such as smartphone-based hive mapping and community-driven colony monitoring have proven effective in Eastern Amazonian contexts (Liang et al. 2024 ) and could be readily adapted to Guarani territories. Such participatory approaches support Indigenous data sovereignty and are consistent with decolonial conservation frameworks (Trisos et al. 2021 ; Macintyre et al. 2023 ). Co-designed monitoring protocols combining vernacular taxonomy with demographic metrics would generate robust baseline data, crucial for informed decision-making and effective implementation of Brazil’s pollinator conservation policies. Limitations and future directions. Our findings are constrained by the limited number of studies (n = 5), geographic concentration in Atlantic-Forest remnants and adjacent ecotones, methodological heterogeneity, and absence of quantitative colony-level data. Future research should therefore aim to: (i) establish community-managed sentinel hive networks, (ii) utilize high-resolution multispectral imagery linked to Indigenous place names to assess habitat connectivity, (iii) investigate nutritional and pharmacological properties of culturally significant honeys (Pimentel et al. 2022 ), and (iv) explore gender-specific aspects of knowledge transmission, acknowledging the pivotal role Guarani women play in preserving traditional ecological knowledge (Gisloti et al. 2025 ). Implications for insect conservation policy. Recognizing Guarani ethnospecies formally in national inventories and IUCN assessments can refine diagnostic accuracy and enhance the legitimacy of conservation initiatives. Embedding traditional Indigenous management practices—such as lunar-synchronized honey harvesting, strategic nest relocation, and ecotone stewardship—into Brazil’s National Pollinator Plan presents actionable policy recommendations capable of immediately reducing stingless-bee mortality in agricultural frontiers. Furthermore, participatory monitoring frameworks that integrate Indigenous knowledge with quantitative metrics can address critical data gaps, strengthen biocultural governance, and provide a replicable conservation model for pollinator protection throughout the Neotropics. Conclusions Our scoping review synthesises Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá knowledge on stingless bees, documenting 24 ethnospecies—more than triple the number reported by standard inventories in the same landscapes. This folk taxonomy, together with culturally embedded management practices such as lunar-timed honey harvests, strategic nest relocation, and hive placement along crop–forest ecotones, directly addresses major conservation threats like habitat loss and pesticide drift. We recommend participatory monitoring frameworks co-designed with Indigenous communities, integrating vernacular classifications and quantitative colony metrics to enhance IUCN Red List assessments and Brazil’s National Pollinator Plan. The approaches presented here hold significant potential for replication and adaptation in other tropical regions facing similar conservation challenges and agricultural pressures. Advancing stingless-bee conservation globally requires governance structures that recognise Indigenous territorial rights, actively support traditional ecological stewardship, and embed Indigenous ecological knowledge deeply within pollinator conservation policies. By underscoring the diagnostic precision and management value of Guarani traditional ecological knowledge, our review provides a globally applicable, culturally informed model for insect conservation initiatives in tropical ecosystems worldwide. Declarations Acknowledgements We thank the Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá communities, whose detailed ecological knowledge and enduring stewardship of stingless-bee diversity inspired and grounded this synthesis. We are grateful to the authors of the primary studies—R. Rodrigues, J. Ballivián, M. Cebolla Badie, T. Damasco Nunes and M. S. Pedro—whose publicly available work made this review possible. Constructive discussions within the Ethnobiology, Territory and Biocultural Diversity Research Group (UFOPA) greatly improved the review protocol and manuscript. Funding This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Author Contributions Conceptualization: LJG; Methodology: LJG, WB; Data curation: LJG, WB; Formal analysis: LJG; Writing—original draft: LJG; Writing—review and editing: All authors. Data Availability Statement The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available as supplementary material (Online Resource 1-7). Additional materials may be provided by the corresponding author on reasonable request. Ethics approval. This study did not involve experiments with humans or animals and did not require ethical approval. Consent to participate / Consent for publication. Not applicable. Competing interests. The authors declare that they have no competing interests. References Aromataris E, Munn Z (eds) (2020) JBI manual for evidence synthesis . 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Supplementary Files OnlineResource5ReproducibilityPackage.zip OnlineResource4ScreeningQualityMatrix.pdf OnlineResource3PRISMAScRChecklist.pdf OnlineResource1SearchStrategy.pdf OnlineResource2SummaryofIncludedStudies.pdf OnlineResource6EthnospeciesList.pdf OnlineResource7Sensitivityanalysis.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 21 Oct, 2025 Reviews received at journal 02 Sep, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Aug, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 14 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 12 Jul, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 12 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 10 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7093749","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":502547269,"identity":"76b20803-8399-41b2-abab-e9647f282e10","order_by":0,"name":"Walkiria Aparecida Benites","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Walkiria","middleName":"Aparecida","lastName":"Benites","suffix":""},{"id":502547270,"identity":"ba678114-de0c-4579-98fa-7fd3a67d0b6b","order_by":1,"name":"Laura Jane Gisloti","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA6UlEQVRIie3PsQqCQBjA8e84OBfL9RqiVyiEKCh8lcLVpvYwgmuxWmvqIYLmxLU3uDFocjg3EYP0IiKC07Hh/oN+iD/uPgCd7g9rvl5UDhdRPIhRQcibEMAQ7ssvuB4BSbBZTpXEuPZFmg0cYuzCaJSdO00MSCSegpiefdhs6ZSZEUSzLe+x4rTW4ay6mGdDI6ATQt2CBBwVhOCGilixjR4BdSQZBtypJtSzsZlSxEoCKZ/WIPc5bvtyl2648bnLMFopd7Es94TifOFYxvIm0pyPj+tVKBIFkSH2NSC/4v+y/GfQ6XQ63acnj5BHyIXDGdsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of Western Pará","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Laura","middleName":"Jane","lastName":"Gisloti","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-10 13:53:26","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7093749/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7093749/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":89672447,"identity":"8e36e9f5-5cb1-48f9-a465-0bc3e0bd9228","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:09:23","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":44964,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003ePRISMA-ScR flow diagram illustrating the record selection process (search period: 2 May–19 June 2025). Adapted from PRISMA-ScR guidelines.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/586f594e6fa2aa453123d84b.png"},{"id":89674631,"identity":"734817b5-f326-45a2-a6fb-635f7aeda030","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:25:23","extension":"jpeg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":244940,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eGeographical locations of the five reviewed studies on Guarani stingless-bee knowledge. Projection: SIRGAS 2000 (EPSG 4674), datum WGS 84. Scale bar = 200 km.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/b5743431b16fe04a41af70a1.jpeg"},{"id":89676129,"identity":"0ba44003-0a61-49ee-8136-fcae0e7b11a0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:41:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":895348,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/f95ff8b8-d5ca-4820-ab98-9124d4d9dcb2.pdf"},{"id":89673413,"identity":"35285ceb-b26c-4c45-8171-b75864d98f43","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:17:23","extension":"zip","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":6412,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource5ReproducibilityPackage.zip","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/775c66481113879e4b6bbfd8.zip"},{"id":89673416,"identity":"83007f1f-bcce-4e67-8f87-3f671d9aa41c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:17:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":18020,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource4ScreeningQualityMatrix.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/cffc033499a767ad095eceb4.pdf"},{"id":89673422,"identity":"e08411b7-1d61-4989-920f-8fcdccbc0ef6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:17:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":3,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":155970,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource3PRISMAScRChecklist.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/ccc03d628d5d76909681fb6d.pdf"},{"id":89672458,"identity":"b8a25a4c-1bcb-4501-a21a-17ba1aa69827","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:09:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":7174,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource1SearchStrategy.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/7ab92fc36ba11f480972de2a.pdf"},{"id":89672470,"identity":"f0260348-d762-44a9-ab34-2127a23c2d0e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:09:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":116353,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource2SummaryofIncludedStudies.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/d7f5c9c21edf73d3e4b4b063.pdf"},{"id":89672469,"identity":"579c7f74-1741-42cd-b489-bb813da61d19","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:09:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":204782,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource6EthnospeciesList.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/4051405b6c9ef93cfebdb1c6.pdf"},{"id":89672465,"identity":"c164b42b-4c5a-4ec7-8bb8-07b25d860531","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-22 13:09:23","extension":"pdf","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":111490,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OnlineResource7Sensitivityanalysis.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7093749/v1/397e2ac15067579af66a61ed.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Guarani folk taxonomy sheds new light on stingless-bee conservation priorities in Neotropical agrofrontiers","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eStingless bees (Apidae: Meliponini) comprise over 550 described species, about 80% of which are Neotropical endemics (Engel et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Li et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Globally recognized as keystone pollinators, they sustain forest regeneration and enhance yields of economically vital crops such as açaí, coffee, mango, and avocado, crucial for food security and rural economies in tropical regions worldwide (Hipólito et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; González-Tokman et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeliponiculture, involving colony division and relocation, supports rural livelihoods not only across Latin America but increasingly in Asia, Africa, and Oceania, underscoring the global conservation significance of these pollinators (Ocaña-Cabrera et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite their ecological and economic importance, Meliponini populations face severe declines driven by habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate change (Dicks et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Potts et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). In Brazil’s soy frontier, over 1\u0026nbsp;million hectares of native vegetation were cleared between 2010 and 2020, pesticide drift routinely penetrates Indigenous territories, and colony losses can reach 40% per year (Song et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Requier et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; MapBiomas \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Conservation strategies, therefore, require approaches that are both ecologically robust and culturally legitimate.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndigenous traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), grounded in place-based, long-term ecological observations and cosmologies of reciprocity, can effectively address this challenge. When integrated into multiple-evidence-based frameworks, TEK significantly enhances conservation outcomes and contributes to global biodiversity targets, aligning with initiatives such as the UN International Year of Pollinators (Tengö et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e; Trisos et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Specifically for stingless bees, TEK provides valuable insights into fine-scale nesting preferences, sustainable honey harvesting practices, and habitat management (Sandroni \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá peoples possess particularly detailed ethnoentomological knowledge, viewing bees as kin and critical indicators of forest health. Meliponiculture practices among the Guarani are deeply embedded in ritual honey feasts and land stewardship traditions (Gisloti et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Accelerated deforestation within Atlantic Forest remnants poses a significant threat to both stingless bee diversity and Guarani cultural resilience. Yet, a synthesis linking the rich Guarani stingless-bee ethnospecies diversity, culturally embedded practices, and perceived threats remains lacking—hampering the effective integration of Indigenous TEK into national and global pollinator conservation frameworks.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this context, our study addresses three central questions: (i) Which stingless-bee ethnospecies and their Linnaean counterparts are recognized by Guarani Mbya and Kaiowá knowledge holders? (ii) Which traditional management strategies and perceived threats are reported? (iii) How can these insights effectively inform and strengthen regional, national, and international pollinator conservation policies?\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eProtocol and reporting standards.\u003c/em\u003e This scoping review followed the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR; Tricco et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e) and methodological guidance from the Joanna Briggs Institute manual (Aromataris \u0026amp; Munn \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). The protocol was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (DOI \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.17605/OSF.IO/7AMGY\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.17605/OSF.IO/7AMGY\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e), and the completed PRISMA-ScR checklist is provided as Online Resource 3.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSearch strategy.\u003c/em\u003e We searched Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and the Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD) on 2 May 2025 and updated the search on 19 June 2025 (UTC–03:00). No limits on year, language, or document type were applied. The Boolean expression—Topic or Title/Abstract/Keyword fields—was: (\"stingless bee*\" OR Meliponini OR \"abelh* sem ferrão*\") AND (conservation OR conservação). Detailed, platform-specific syntaxes and logs appear in Online Resource 1. We hand-searched reference lists of all eligible records and consulted three regional meliponiculture experts for grey literature.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEligibility criteria.\u003c/em\u003e Records were included when they (i) presented original empirical data on stingless bees (Meliponini) associated with Guarani Mbya, Kaiowá, or Ñandeva peoples and (ii) explicitly linked traditional knowledge to bee use, management, or conservation. We excluded studies lacking Guarani-specific information, those focused solely on Apis or other non-meliponine taxa, and narrative reviews.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSelection process.\u003c/em\u003e References were imported into Zotero, and duplicates were removed automatically (DOI) or manually (exact title + first author + year). Two reviewers (LJG, WB) independently screened titles/abstracts and full texts. Inter-reviewer agreement on a random 20% subset was strong (Cohen’s κ = 0.82; 95% CI 0.71–0.93). Discrepancies (\u0026lt; 5%) were resolved by consensus. A PRISMA-ScR flow diagram of the process is shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eData extraction and charting.\u003c/em\u003e We used a piloted form to record authorship, year, document type, Guarani subgroup, biome, methodological approach, number of ethnospecies, cultural uses, management strategies, and perceived threats. Extraction sheets are provided in Online Resource 2. A second reviewer recoded 20% of entries (κ = 0.78; 95% CI 0.65–0.91).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eQuality appraisal.\u003c/em\u003e Methodological quality was assessed with the 10-item JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Scores ranged from 7 to 10 (mean ± SD = 7.6 ± 0.9). Detailed results appear in Online Resource 4 and informed the sensitivity analysis. Studies classified as moderate quality (JBI score = 7) may introduce some limitations regarding the robustness of the findings, particularly in the level of detail and completeness of qualitative reporting.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eData synthesis.\u003c/em\u003e Quantitative descriptors (publication year, geographic distribution, ethnospecies richness) were summarised in R v4.3.2 using tidyverse v2.0.0 (Wickham et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) and janitor v2.2.0 (Firke \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Annotated R scripts and the aggregated dataset are in Online Resource 5. Qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis in NVivo 14 following Braun and Clarke’s (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) six-phase protocol. Excluding studies with moderate quality (JBI \u0026lt; 8; n = 3) did not change median ethnospecies richness or theme rankings (Online Resource 7). Identifications of stingless bee ethnospecies were inferred without direct voucher specimens, based solely on ethnoentomological methods (e.g., interviews, workshops, guided walks), cross-referenced with regional taxonomic keys.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEthical considerations.\u003c/em\u003e Only publicly available documents were analysed; no new interactions with Indigenous communities occurred. Formal free, prior, and informed consent was therefore unnecessary, but all recommendations respect Indigenous data sovereignty (CARE Principles) and will guide future participatory research requiring FPIC.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStudy selection.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eDatabase and grey-literature searches retrieved 19 records. After removing duplicates (n = 2), 17 unique records were screened and 12 were excluded for lacking Guarani-specific information or focusing on non-meliponine bees. Five publications met all eligibility criteria (Fig. 1).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eStudy characteristics.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe five studies encompass three master\u0026rsquo;s dissertations, one ethnographic monograph, and one practitioner-oriented booklet published between 2005 and 2021 (Table 1). Four were conducted with Guarani Mbya communities in Atlantic-Forest remnants and one with Guarani Kaiow\u0026aacute; communities in the Cerrado\u0026ndash;Atlantic-Forest ecotone of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil (Fig. 2). These regions represent critical conservation hotspots due to high biodiversity, ongoing deforestation pressures, and significant overlap with Indigenous territories, thus providing valuable insights for targeted stingless bee conservation efforts. Methodological quality (mean \u0026plusmn; SD JBI score = 7.6 \u0026plusmn; 0.9) classified two studies as high quality (scores \u0026ge; 8) and three as moderate quality (score 7; see Online Resource 4). However, the limited number of studies (n = 5) constrains the generalizability and depth of our synthesis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 1\u0026emsp;\u003c/strong\u003e Overview of primary studies documenting Guarani stingless-bee traditional ecological knowledge.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor (year)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDocument type\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuarani group\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBiome / Location\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eParticipants (n)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMain methods*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthnospecies\u0026dagger;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJBI quality\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRodrigues\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(2005)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMSc thesis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAtlantic Forest, S\u0026atilde;o Paulo, BR\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSSI, FL, GW\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBallivi\u0026aacute;n\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e(2008)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBooklet\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAtlantic Forest, Rio Grande do Sul, BR\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026asymp;60\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCI, FD\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCebolla Badie (2009)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMonograph\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAtlantic Forest, Misiones, AR\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17 families\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePO\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDamasco Nunes (2021)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMSc thesis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAtlantic Forest, Paran\u0026aacute;, BR\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWS, SSI\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eModerate\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePedro (2021)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMSc thesis\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eKaiow\u0026aacute;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCerrado\u0026ndash;Atlantic Forest ecotone, Mato Grosso do Sul, BR\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e22\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSSI, GW\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 12px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCI community interview; FD field demonstration; FL free listing; GW guided walk; PO participant observation; SSI semi-structured interview; WS workshop; percentage values in Tables 2\u0026ndash;3 are calculated from n = 5 studies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEthnospecies richness.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eGuarani participants recognised 24 stingless-bee ethnospecies represented by 29 vernacular names (Online Resource 6). Richness per study ranged from 2 to 17 ethnospecies (median = 10). Two ethnospecies\u0026mdash;Jate\u0026rsquo;i (Tetragonisca angustula) and Mandori (Melipona marginata)\u0026mdash;occurred in four studies, underscoring their cultural ubiquity. Taxonomic certainty classified 15 ethnospecies as confirmed, six as probable, and three as uncertain according to criteria detailed in the Methods.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTraditional management practices.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eAll studies documented at least one practice aimed at maintaining stingless-bee populations (Table 2). Selective honey harvesting timed to lunar or brood cycles was universal, indicating strong cultural and ecological coherence for sustainable harvesting practices. Nest translocation (80%) and hive placement in crop\u0026ndash;forest ecotones (60%) highlight practical approaches to enhance pollination efficiency and mitigate habitat fragmentation impacts. Ritual honey use (40%) underscores cultural dimensions of bee management, and rational hive introduction (20%) suggests potential avenues for technical collaboration and extension efforts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTable 2\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eTraditional management practices documented across Guarani communities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"99%\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManagement practice\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStudies (n=5)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequency (%)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGuarani groups\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSelective honey harvests timed with lunar or brood cycles\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya, Kaiow\u0026aacute;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNest translocation to refuge trees\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e80%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya, Kaiow\u0026aacute;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHive placement at crop\u0026ndash;forest ecotones\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRitual honey use\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 42px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntroduction of rational hives\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 20px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e20%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd style=\"width: 18px;\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMbya\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePerceived threats to colonies.\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eHabitat loss\u0026mdash;chiefly driven by soy expansion\u0026mdash;was reported in all studies (100 %), pesticide drift in three (60 %) and native-forest replacement by eucalyptus or commercial logging in two (40 %) (Table 3).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTable 3\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThreats to stingless-bee colonies as identified by Guarani participants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" class=\"fr-table-selection-hover\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThreat category\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStudies (n=5)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrequency (%)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRepresentative examples\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDeforestation and land-clearing\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSoy expansion, urbanization\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePesticide drift\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e60%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAerial spraying (glyphosate, pyrethroids)\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCommercial logging / eucalyptus plantations\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e40%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNative forest replacement\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDeforestation and land-clearing\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e100%\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSoy expansion, urbanization\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSensitivity analysis.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003eHabitat loss\u0026mdash;primarily driven by soybean expansion\u0026mdash;was identified in all studies (100 %), whereas pesticide drift appeared in three (60 %) and the replacement of native forest by eucalyptus plantations or commercial logging in two (40 %) (Table 3). Omitting the three moderate-quality studies (JBI \u0026lt; 8; n = 3) left the median ethnospecies richness unchanged at 10 and did not affect the relative ranking of management practices or perceived threats (Online Resource 7).\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTaxonomic insights from Guarani folk classification\u003c/em\u003e. Our review documents 24 stingless-bee ethnospecies and 29 vernacular names recognised by Guarani Mbya and Kaiow\u0026aacute; beekeepers\u0026mdash;nearly an order of magnitude richer than the eight to ten species typically recorded in conventional surveys of the Upper Paran\u0026aacute; basin (Correia-Oliveira \u0026amp; Oliveira \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Similar depth has been observed among Maya stingless-bee keepers in Mexico, where commercial meliponiculture now threatens local diversity (Quezada-Eu\u0026aacute;n et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, Ashaninka communities in the Peruvian Amazon also demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of stingless bee biodiversity and management, emphasizing the global significance of Indigenous taxonomic acuity for conservation (Athayde et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Guarani dataset thus expands regional biodiversity baselines and underscores the critical importance of incorporating emic classifications into formal biodiversity inventories. Two ethnospecies illustrate this clearly: Jate\u0026rsquo;i (\u003cem\u003eTetragonisca angustula\u003c/em\u003e) is highly valued for medicinal honey utilized in pediatric care (Pedro et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e), whereas Mandori (\u003cem\u003eMelipona marginata\u003c/em\u003e) provides essential ritual wax for ceremonial practices (Gisloti et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). Both qualify as cultural keystone species (Coe \u0026amp; Gaoue \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e), warranting priority consideration in national red-list assessments.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBiocultural management and colony resilience.\u003c/em\u003e Three predominant management strategies\u0026mdash;lunar-timed selective harvesting, nest translocation to refuge trees, and hive placement along crop\u0026ndash;forest ecotones\u0026mdash;were documented in at least 60% of the studies. Such traditional practices integrate ecological stewardship with ritualistic responsibilities, and Guarani beekeepers credit these methods with significantly reducing colony losses during environmental stresses such as droughts and extreme weather events. Similar positive outcomes have been documented in Amazonian participatory meliponiculture projects, affirming the broad applicability of Indigenous ecological knowledge (Athayde et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). Thus, the integration of these culturally grounded strategies into Brazil\u0026rsquo;s National Pollinator Plan and voluntary sustainability standards could deliver immediate and culturally relevant conservation outcomes (Sandroni \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDrivers of decline: local realities match global trends.\u003c/em\u003e Guarani communities consistently identified habitat loss due to soybean expansion as the primary threat, followed by pesticide drift and the replacement of native forests with eucalyptus plantations. These local insights align with global analyses identifying land-use change and agrochemical contamination as the leading pressures on pollinator populations worldwide (Dicks et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Evidence from remote sensing further highlights that Indigenous territories typically maintain higher habitat integrity compared to surrounding private agricultural lands (Qin et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Immediate policy interventions such as establishing pesticide-free buffer zones around Indigenous territories, strengthening enforcement against illegal deforestation, and incentivizing agroecological farming practices could significantly enhance both pollinator conservation and Indigenous territorial sovereignty.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eParticipatory monitoring closes methodological gaps.\u003c/em\u003e None of the reviewed studies included quantitative data on colony density, brood health, or nest survival\u0026mdash;key metrics for formal IUCN assessments. Innovative methodologies such as smartphone-based hive mapping and community-driven colony monitoring have proven effective in Eastern Amazonian contexts (Liang et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e) and could be readily adapted to Guarani territories. Such participatory approaches support Indigenous data sovereignty and are consistent with decolonial conservation frameworks (Trisos et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR36\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Macintyre et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Co-designed monitoring protocols combining vernacular taxonomy with demographic metrics would generate robust baseline data, crucial for informed decision-making and effective implementation of Brazil\u0026rsquo;s pollinator conservation policies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLimitations and future directions.\u003c/em\u003e Our findings are constrained by the limited number of studies (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5), geographic concentration in Atlantic-Forest remnants and adjacent ecotones, methodological heterogeneity, and absence of quantitative colony-level data. Future research should therefore aim to: (i) establish community-managed sentinel hive networks, (ii) utilize high-resolution multispectral imagery linked to Indigenous place names to assess habitat connectivity, (iii) investigate nutritional and pharmacological properties of culturally significant honeys (Pimentel et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), and (iv) explore gender-specific aspects of knowledge transmission, acknowledging the pivotal role Guarani women play in preserving traditional ecological knowledge (Gisloti et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eImplications for insect conservation policy.\u003c/em\u003e Recognizing Guarani ethnospecies formally in national inventories and IUCN assessments can refine diagnostic accuracy and enhance the legitimacy of conservation initiatives. Embedding traditional Indigenous management practices\u0026mdash;such as lunar-synchronized honey harvesting, strategic nest relocation, and ecotone stewardship\u0026mdash;into Brazil\u0026rsquo;s National Pollinator Plan presents actionable policy recommendations capable of immediately reducing stingless-bee mortality in agricultural frontiers. Furthermore, participatory monitoring frameworks that integrate Indigenous knowledge with quantitative metrics can address critical data gaps, strengthen biocultural governance, and provide a replicable conservation model for pollinator protection throughout the Neotropics.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eOur scoping review synthesises Guarani Mbya and Kaiow\u0026aacute; knowledge on stingless bees, documenting 24 ethnospecies\u0026mdash;more than triple the number reported by standard inventories in the same landscapes. This folk taxonomy, together with culturally embedded management practices such as lunar-timed honey harvests, strategic nest relocation, and hive placement along crop\u0026ndash;forest ecotones, directly addresses major conservation threats like habitat loss and pesticide drift.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe recommend participatory monitoring frameworks co-designed with Indigenous communities, integrating vernacular classifications and quantitative colony metrics to enhance IUCN Red List assessments and Brazil\u0026rsquo;s National Pollinator Plan. The approaches presented here hold significant potential for replication and adaptation in other tropical regions facing similar conservation challenges and agricultural pressures. Advancing stingless-bee conservation globally requires governance structures that recognise Indigenous territorial rights, actively support traditional ecological stewardship, and embed Indigenous ecological knowledge deeply within pollinator conservation policies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBy underscoring the diagnostic precision and management value of Guarani traditional ecological knowledge, our review provides a globally applicable, culturally informed model for insect conservation initiatives in tropical ecosystems worldwide.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe thank the Guarani Mbya and Kaiow\u0026aacute; communities, whose detailed ecological knowledge and enduring stewardship of stingless-bee diversity inspired and grounded this synthesis. We are grateful to the authors of the primary studies\u0026mdash;R. Rodrigues, J. Ballivi\u0026aacute;n, M. Cebolla Badie, T. Damasco Nunes and M. S. Pedro\u0026mdash;whose publicly available work made this review possible. Constructive discussions within the Ethnobiology, Territory and Biocultural Diversity Research Group (UFOPA) greatly improved the review protocol and manuscript.\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConceptualization: LJG; Methodology: LJG, WB; Data curation: LJG, WB; Formal analysis: LJG; Writing\u0026mdash;original draft: LJG; Writing\u0026mdash;review and editing: All authors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability Statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available as supplementary material (Online Resource 1-7). Additional materials may be provided by the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval. \u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003eThis study did not involve experiments with humans or animals and did not require ethical approval.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate / Consent for publication.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e Not applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAromataris E, Munn Z (eds) (2020) \u003cem\u003eJBI manual for evidence synthesis\u003c/em\u003e. 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We conducted a scoping review synthesizing Guarani Mbya and Kaiow\u0026aacute; traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) about stingless bees from five studies (2005\u0026ndash;2021). Guarani experts recognize 24 distinct ethnospecies (29 vernacular names), intricately linked to their cosmological beliefs and agroforestry practices. Three culturally embedded management strategies were highlighted: selective honey harvesting synchronized with lunar and brood cycles, nest translocation from endangered trees to safer habitats, and strategic hive placement in crop\u0026ndash;forest ecotones to optimize pollination and habitat connectivity. Participants consistently identified deforestation driven by soybean expansion, pesticide drift, and habitat fragmentation as primary threats. However, the absence of quantitative colony data in reviewed studies represents a significant limitation for formal conservation assessments. To bridge this gap, we recommend participatory monitoring programs co-designed with Guarani communities, combining indigenous folk classifications and colony health metrics. Implementing these strategies within Brazil\u0026rsquo;s National Pollinator Plan could directly mitigate stingless bee decline in rapidly expanding agricultural frontiers, promote indigenous territorial rights, and enhance policy effectiveness and biocultural resilience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eImplications for insect conservation\u003c/b\u003e: Coupling Guarani folk taxonomy with quantitative monitoring can address critical data deficiencies, guide evidence-based conservation policies, and protect biocultural diversity across threatened Neotropical regions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Guarani folk taxonomy sheds new light on stingless-bee conservation priorities in Neotropical agrofrontiers","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-22 13:09:18","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7093749/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-10-21T20:06:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-09-02T20:11:03+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"193201221572692791920944800383064696499","date":"2025-08-19T11:52:14+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"97393505689508777323484958653305243342","date":"2025-08-18T17:15:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"185546114515720946475492004606758253185","date":"2025-08-14T11:55:51+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-14T11:23:59+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-07-12T04:20:35+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-07-12T04:19:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Journal of Insect Conservation","date":"2025-07-10T13:42:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-insect-conservation","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jico","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Insect Conservation](http://link.springer.com/journal/10841)","snPcode":"10841","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/10841/3","title":"Journal of Insect Conservation","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"be336451-0524-4c31-9b1b-362792bdd996","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 22nd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-19T15:38:13+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-22 13:09:18","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7093749","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7093749","identity":"rs-7093749","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}