Rare Stingless Bees in the Amazon Become Some of the First Insects to Receive Legal Rights

A Peruvian scientist and her collaborators are taking bold steps to ensure stingless bees continue to thrive for generations.

Rosa Vásquez Espinoza, founder of Amazon Research Internacional, and Constanza Prieto, Latin American director at the Earth Law Center, are working together to secure legal recognition and protection for stingless bees in the Amazon, according to reporting by The Guardian and CNN.

Espinoza, who describes stingless bees as “the most efficient pollinator,” told CNN that these insects are vital to maintaining and regenerating the ecosystems of the Peruvian Amazon. Their role in pollination helps sustain forests, biodiversity, and the communities that depend on them.

Despite their importance, stingless bees face mounting threats. Deforestation, climate change, and pesticide use are putting immense pressure on their populations.

“Globally, we have around 600 documented species of stingless bees. In Peru, we know we have at least 175 species,” Espinoza said. “That positions Peru as such a biodiversity hotspot for stingless bees, which means we need to be driving the change and the actions to help bring back the stingless bee.”

Espinoza and advocates like Prieto are calling for legal safeguards that recognize the bees’ essential contribution to the environment. In a Dec. 12 Instagram post, Espinoza highlighted the broader significance of the movement, writing that Peru could grant stingless bees legal rights to exist and flourish, setting an example for other nations, while emphasizing the leadership of Indigenous communities in this effort.

Those efforts are already producing results. In recent months, two regions in Peru passed ordinances designed to protect bees and encourage their recovery, marking some of the first instances worldwide in which insects have been granted legal rights, according to The Guardian.

“This ordinance marks a turning point in our relationship with nature: it makes stingless bees visible, recognises them as rights-bearing subjects, and affirms their essential role in preserving ecosystems,” Prieto told the outlet.

Although called “stingless,” these bees do possess stingers, but they are not adapted for defense and pose little threat to humans.

Research shared by Espinoza and colleague Cesar Delgado in December 2023 further underscores the bees’ value. The researchers noted that stingless bee honey has long been used in medicine, food, religious practices, and cultural traditions around the world. In the Peruvian Amazon, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities have relied on this honey for centuries to treat a wide range of illnesses.

According to the research, at least 14 diseases have traditionally been treated using stingless bee honey. Espinoza said the team identified hundreds of medicinal molecules in the honey, many of which are associated with anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, and even anti-cancer properties.

Indigenous leaders have also stressed the cultural importance of the bees. Apu Cesar Ramos, president of EcoAshaninka of the Ashaninka Communal Reserve, said that stingless bees embody ancestral knowledge passed down through generations.

“The stingless bee has existed since time immemorial and reflects our coexistence with the rainforest,” Ramos said.

Momentum continued to build in December 2024, when Congress approved a bill introduced by María Acuña Peralta to protect stingless bees and promote beekeeping across Peru. Earlier, in October, Satipo became the country’s first municipality to pass an ordinance formally granting legal rights to stingless bees, according to The Guardian.