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

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.