By Razl EJ Teman
MindaNews
EXPERTS from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) are now studying the presence of Apis florea, a non-native honeybee species, in Mindanao.
The species is found in Southern and Southeastern Asia, including Thailand and Indonesia.
Dr. Editha C. Jose, a UPLB mathematics professor and one of the leads of the UPLB Bee-keeping Program, told MindaNews on Friday that they have been studying the presence of this bee species since February this year to validate their hypotheses and establish its profile in the locality.
Jose, who is also president of the Mathematical Society of the Philippines (MSP), discussed her research on bees in a presentation titled “Interdisciplinary Mathematics: A mathematician’s journey among bees” during the second day of the MSP Davao Region Research Convention.
She said the team is composed of eight experts, including mathematicians, entomologists, and biologists.
Asked whether the presence of this honeybee species is beneficial, Jose said the team is currently investigating whether it competes with native bees for resources when foraging.
“So, we are looking at, are these Apis florea also foraging on the same flowers as our native bees? So that’s our problem. So, we are getting the resource profile,” she said.
Apis florea is identifiable by the red area behind its neck. Jose, however, said the team will also validate other reported sightings of the species in different parts of the country.
Among the prominent pollinating bee species in the country are Apis cerana (commonly known as Laywan), stingless bees, and Apis mellifera (western honeybee).
A study published in February this year documented 10 nests of Apis florea in Davao City, Panabo City, and Monkayo, Davao de Oro.
Jose added the team attempted to establish a colony of the species at a beekeeping site in Toril, Davao City. However, the Apis florea left the area.
The team is investigating the possible reasons for its departure, including the site’s relatively higher elevation and more frequent rainfall.
In Panabo, the colonies have remained in the area.
Jose said the team will visit Samal Island on Sunday to validate another reported sighting of the bee species.
During her presentation, Jose said the team was still trying to determine why these bees remain in specific areas.
She said the team has been conducting experiments, fieldwork, and data collection since February to better understand the species and its behavior.
Based on the February study, the nests were observed on mango, malunggay, Podocarpus sp., sampalok, talisay, and cacao trees.
The team’s ongoing fieldwork has also found that the bees feed on and pollinate mango trees, similar to stingless bees.
One theory the experts are investigating is that the bees may have reached the country through trade, possibly transported aboard boats, she said.
Should the team find that the species is non-invasive and does not compete with other bees, its presence would be good because there would be more bees to pollinate plants, she said. (Razl EJ Teman / MindaNews)
