Melipona orbignyi jenningsi Cockerell, 1919:199, xw. Holotype xw, Las Cascadas, Canal Zone, Panama (U.S.N.M., No. 21669, leg. A. H. Jennings). - Lutz & Cockerell, 1920Lutz, F.E. & T.D.A. Cockerell 1920. Notes on the distribution and bibliography of North American bees of the families, Apidae, Meliponidae, Bombidae, Euglossidae, and Anthophoridae. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist 42 (15):491-641. (distribution); Schwarz, 1932Schwarz, H.F. 1932. The genus Melipona. The type genus of the Meliponidae or stingless bees. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 63 (4):231-460, 10 pls.:339 ( listed as synonym of Melipona favosa phenax Cockerell, 1919).
Melipona phenax Cockerell, 1919:195, sex not indicated. Holotype, Ecuador (U.S.N.M., No. 21661, leg. Baker); Schwarz, 1932Schwarz, H.F. 1932. The genus Melipona. The type genus of the Meliponidae or stingless bees. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 63 (4):231-460, 10 pls.:340, Type (U. S. National Museum, No. 21661). - Nates-Parra & Rosso-Londoño, 2013Nates-Parra, G. & J.M. Rosso-Londoño 2013. Diversidad de abejas sin aguijón (Hymenoptera: Meliponini) utilizadas en meliponicultura en Colombia. Acta biol. Colomb. 18 (3):415-426. (distribution). - As Melipona favosa phenax: - Schwarz, 1932Schwarz, H.F. 1932. The genus Melipona. The type genus of the Meliponidae or stingless bees. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 63 (4):231-460, 10 pls. (distribution); Schwarz, 1934Schwarz, H.F. 1934. The social bees (Meliponinae) of Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone. American Museum Novitates 731:1-23. (distribution); Michener, 1946Michener, C.D. 1946. Notes on the habits of some Panamanian stingless bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 54 (3):179-197. (biology, distribution); Michener, 1954Michener, C.D. 1954. Bees of Panamá. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 104 (1):1-176. (distribution); Nates-Parra, 1995Nates-Parra, G. 1995. Las abejas sin aguijon del genero Melipona (Hymenoptera: Meliponinae) en Colombia. Bol. Mus. Ent. Univ. Valle 3 (2):21-33. (distribution); Nates-Parra, 2001Nates-Parra, G. 2001. Las abejas sin aguijón (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) de Colombia. Biota Colombiana 2 (3):233-248. (distribution); Smith-Pardo, 2003Smith-Pardo, A.H. 2003. A preliminary account of the bees of Colombia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea): present knowledge and future directions. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 76 (2):335-341. (distribution). - As Melipona orbignyi phenax: - Cockerell, 1928Cockerell, T.D.A. 1928. Bees collected by Nathan Banks in the vicinity of the Panama Canal. Psyche 35:173-181. (distribution); Cockerell, 1928Cockerell, T.D.A. 1928. Bees collected by Dr. W. M. Wheeler at flowers of Triplaris. Psyche 35:170-172. (distribution).