Molecular phylogeny of the stingless bees (Apidae, Apinae, Meliponini) inferred from mitochondrial 16S rDNA sequences

Sequence data from the mitochondrial 16S rDNA of 34 species from 22 genera of stingless bees plus outgroup sequences from 11 species of other corbiculate bees were used to investigate the phylogenetic relationships among the Meliponini. Equally weighted parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses were performed. Four main clades were recognized in the parsimony consensus tree: (A) Hypotrigona, (B) Austropiebeia, (C) remaining African genera (Plebeina, Meliplebeia, and Axestotrigona) plus the two Oriental genera (Lepidotrigona and Heterotrigona), and (D) Neotropical genera. The African genus Hypotrigona was placed as the most basal branch in the tribe, followed by Austropiebeia as the sister group of other two major clades (C and D). Our results did not support traditional groups with intercontinental composition, e.g. Trigona sensu lato or Plebeia sensu lato.