Keeping of stingless bees by the Kayapó Indians of Brazil

Previously I have pointed out the widespread use of insects by indigenous peoples in the lowland tropics of the New World (Posey 1978, 1979e, 1980). Inevitably stingless bees (Meliponinae) are one of the most valued insect resources. Beekeeping for the Maya of Mesoamerica, for example, was an elaborate science (Schwartz 1948). For the Kayapó Indians of the middle Xingu region of Brazil, bee-keeping is not as complicated as that of the Maya; however, knowledge and utilization of stingless bees is well developed.