MARANG, Oct 25 — A collection of 20 stingless bee species, including species not previously recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, is a key attraction at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu’s (UMT) Indo-Malaya Stingless Bee Repository in Bukit Kor here.

Its founder Prof Dr Shamsul Bahri Abd Razak said the identity of all the species had been verified through inventory and taxonomic identification, allowing the collection to serve as a scientific reference for research.

Among the distinctive species in the collection are Heterotrigona erythrogastra, Tetrigona peninsularis, Sundatrigona moorei, Tetragonula melina and Odontotrigona haematoptera.

Other species include Lophotrigona canifrons, Homotrigona aliceae, Tetrigona binghami, Tetragonula minangkabau and Tetragonilla atripes.

“We believe the UMT repository in Bukit Kor houses the largest collection of stingless bee species in the Indo-Malaya region. This is an important achievement for research, conservation and biodiversity education.

“The collection also contributes to efforts to document and conserve the diversity of stingless bees in the region. Visitors can observe the differences in morphology, nest architecture and behaviour among the species,” he told Bernama recently.

The 0.4-hectare repository also features a flower garden designed to provide food for stingless bees and other pollinating insects.

Shamsul Bahri said the garden was still being developed and was expected to become a tourist attraction once completed, with colourful, biodiversity-friendly landscaping.

The garden is also intended to provide a continuous supply of nectar and pollen throughout the year to keep the bee colonies healthy and productive.

“We are planting a variety of flowering plants with different blooming periods to ensure a steady food supply throughout the year,” he said.

The repository is also undertaking efforts to reintroduce four species of Kor palms, Johannesteijsmannia altifrons, Johannesteijsmannia magnifica, Johannesteijsmannia lanceolata and Johannesteijsmannia perakensis, which hold historical and ecological significance for the area.

Shamsul Bahri said the forest palms once grew naturally in Bukit Kor and formed part of its original landscape, but disappeared following generations of land clearing for agriculture.

“We want to restore the Kor palms, which are part of Bukit Kor’s original identity, for future generations. Although only J. altifrons was originally distributed in Terengganu, we have introduced all four species.

“This will increase the diversity of plant species in the area and revive a natural heritage that has nearly been forgotten,” he said.

Another notable feature of the repository is Victoria amazonica, a giant water lily native to the Amazon Basin in South America.

Unlike ordinary water lilies, its round leaves can grow up to three metres in diameter under optimal conditions. Its flowers also change colour from white to pink over two nights.

Shamsul Bahri said the repository had also completed the planting of 400 trees from 90 rare species as part of efforts to reintroduce heritage plants, particularly traditional fruit trees and food plants that were once part of village life.

The team is also collecting forest orchid species to expand the repository’s flora collection and enhance its role as a food source for stingless bees.

He said the development of these facilities formed part of UMT’s long-term plan to establish Bukit Kor as a nature-based biodiversity learning centre and a distinctive educational ecotourism destination in Terengganu. — Bernama