BIODIVERSITAS ISSN: 1412-033X Volume 22, Number 12, December 2021 E-ISSN: 2085-4722 Pages: 5624-5632 DOI: 10.13057/biodiv/d221248 The effects of introduction of the Sulawesi Endemic Stingless Bee Tetragonula cf. biroi from Sulawesi to Java on foraging behavior, natural enemies, and their productivity ANDI GITA MAULIDYAH INDRASWARI SUHRI 1,♥ , RC HIDAYAT SOESILOHADI 1 , ALI AGUS 2 , SIH KAHONO 3 1 Department of Tropical Biology, Faculty of Biology, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Jl. Teknika Selatan, Sekip Utara, Sleman 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Tel./fax.: +62-274-580839,  email: andigita91@mail.ugm.ac.id 2 Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada. Jl. Fauna, Karang Gayam, Sleman 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 3 Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Widyasatwaloka Building, Research Center in Biology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI). Jl. Raya Cibinong Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, West Java, Indonesia Manuscript received: 7 October 2021. Revision accepted: 28 November 2021. Abstract. Suhri AGMI, Soesilohadi RCH, Agus A, Kahono S. 2021. The effects of introduction of the Sulawesi Endemic Stingless Bee Tetragonula cf. biroi from Sulawesi to Java on foraging behavior, natural enemies, and their productivity. Biodiversitas 22: 5624-5632. The existence of species in an environment has gone through a long adaptation process to the natural environment. This study aims to determine the behavior of bees, pollen types, natural enemies, and products of the Sulawesi endemic bee Tetragonula cf. biroi in its natural habitat and after being introduced to Java. This research was conducted in North Luwu and Bone District, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, as the native habitat. Purworejo, Magelang, and Bantul District in Java as an introduction site. The observation of foraging behavior was recorded by scan sampling method; pollen identification using the acetolysis method. Natural enemies were observed directly and through interviews with beekeepers. The results showed significant differences in the number of T. cf. biroi that returned to the nest between native and introduced habitats (p value < 0.05). Pollen collected by T. cf. biroi in Sulawesi were more varied in type. The woody plants and tall trees dominate the types of pollen they collect in Sulawesi. The pollen collected in Java was dominated by ornamental plants, intentionally grown as feed. The attack of Small hive beetle and black soldier flies larvae caused the colony of T. cf. biroi to die and not produce honey optimally. Another problem is the T. cf. biroi nest is taken over by the local bee Tetragonula laeviceps. Keywords: Competition, endemic bees, introduction, local bees, meliponiculture INTRODUCTION Foraging activities of social bees are influenced by individual memory to react to stimuli, abiotic environmental factors, competition, and availability of food sources (Fidalgo and Kleinert 2010). The allocation of foragers pollen, nectar, and resin is determined by the availability of feed sources around the nest also on the brood's demand Honey bee and stingless bee colonies can allocate more pollen foragers if less pollen is available around the hive (do Nascimento and Nascimento 2012; Maia-Silva et al. 2016; Basari et al. 2018). Bees' foraging behavior depends on the abundance of food sources, colony size, abiotic factors, and communication skills within a colony (Sommeijer et al. 1983; Roubik 1989). Stingless bees are generalists and have the potential to be pollinators. Although generalists, worker bees show flower constancy to the main feed chosen. The feed chose plants with abundant pollen or nectar close to the nest (Ramalho 2004; Tepedino et al. 2016). A native bee colony in the natural environment has undergone a long adaptation and coevolution (Holway et al. 2002; Montalva et al. 2011). The adaptability of the colony in an environment to the type of feed plant, nesting site, and climatic conditions can affect the growth and productivity of the colony. Human activities carry the introduction of bees out of their original geographic distribution area. The adaptability of bees can change if a colony moves to a new environment (Macías- macías et al. 2011). Changes in habitat and natural food sources and colony movement to new habitats affect colony growth and productivity. The major flora and fauna in Indonesia are grouped into three biogeographical regions, Indo-Malayan, Wallacea, and Indo-Australian (Lohman et al. 2011; Ali and Heaney 2021). Tetragonula cf. biroi is known as one of the native or endemic species of Sulawesi (Engel personal communication 2020). Despite its small size, this species has advantages in producing raw honey and propolis. This bee species can produce as much as two kg honey/colony/harvest (Rustan and Paimin personal communication 2020). Along with the increasing interest in meliponiculture in Indonesia, there have been colonies transfer of the bee species T. cf. biroi by introducing thousands of colonies to Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan islands since 2018 until now. Colony adaptation in a new environment can be seen/expressed, among others, by the activity of bees foraging for food, plant species from which food sources are taken, natural enemies, and production of