Ecoclines in the Near East along 36 ? N latitude in Apis mellifera L (original) (raw)
Related papers
Morphological study of Honeybees ( Apis mellifera ) from Libya
Apidologie, 2009
We show, with classical morphometrical analyses, that Libyan honeybees sampled at coastal and desert locations are distinctly different from both the adjacent A. m. intermissa bee populations of Tunisia and Algeria and those of A. m. lamarckii of Egypt. The morphotype was most closely related to A. m. sahariensis and, based on wing venation angles, showed affinities to A. m. jemenitica, indicating that the sampled populations might be derived from a formerly extended Saharan honeybee population during the Holocene pluvial. Scattered morphometric similarities to the European bee A. m. ligustica suggest that importation of honeybees from Italy may have had only minor impact on endemic Libyan honeybee populations. Conservation measures might be particularly appropriate for remote oasis populations, which might be true relic population from the Holocene. In dieser Arbeit werden Honigbienen Libyens mit den anderen Bienenrassen des mediterranen Raums und der Sahara verglichen. Je 10 Arbeiterinnen wurden von 11 Völkern an vier verschiedenen Standorten (Kufra (3), Baida (3), Brak (3), Surt (2); Abb. 1) in Libyen mit einem Standardset von 37 Merkmalen morphometrisch analysiert (Tab. I). Diese Daten wurden mit denen der biometrischen Datenbank des Instituts für Bienenkunde, Oberursel verglichen. Alle Daten wurden einer Faktorenanalyse, einer Diskriminanzanalyse und einer Clusteranalyse unterzogen. Die Hauptkomponenten-Analyse zeigte, dass die libyschen Proben einen separaten Kluster bilden, der eine höhere Ähnlichkeit zu A. m. saharensis als zu den anderen afrikanischen Bienenrassen zeigt (Abb. 2). Ein ähnliches Ergebnis wurde auch in der Diskriminanzanlyse erzielt (Abb. 3) in der die meisten libyschen Proben korrekt zur eigenen Gruppe zugeordnet wurden. Auch die auf den euklidischen Distanzen zwischen den Mittelwerten der Merkmale in den Gruppen beruhende Klusteranalyse zeigte, dass die libyschen Proben nahe zusammen liegen und betonte die Nähe zu A. m. sahariensis, die innerhalb des gleichen Klusters angeordnet wurde. Insgesamt zeigten die Proben von Kufra die höchste Ähnlichkeit zu A. m. sahariensis, während die beiden nordafrikansichen Rassen A. m. intermissa in Westen und A. m. lamarckii in Osten deutlich weniger Gemeinsamkeiten mit den libyschen Honigbienen aufwiesen. Unserer Analyse belegt, dass die libyschen Honigbienen einen distinkten Ökotyp darstellt, mit Anklängen an A. m. sahariensis und, besonders in den Flügelwinkeln, auch an A. m. jemenitica darstellt. Zusammen mit A. m. sahariensis stellt sie möglicherweise eine Reliktpopulation aus dem Holozän dar. Unsere Analyse zeigte weiterhin Anzeichen auf eine mögliche Introgression importierter Europäischer Bienenrassen auf die endemische Population in Libyen, die Schutzmaßnahmen zur Erhaltung der Biodiversität dieser spezifischen Wüstenbiene angezeigt sein lassen könnten.
Biogeography of the dwarf honeybees, Apis andreniformis and Apis florea
Apidologie, 2011
The geographical distributions of the dwarf honeybees, Apis andreniformis and Apis florea, are defined and mapped. The analysis is based primarily on data in the literature for both species and that on the relevant Quaternary palaeoclimatic data. The dwarf honeybee, A. andreniformis, extends from the eastern foothills of the Himalayas eastward to Indochina, Sundaland and the Philippines. A. florea extends from eastern Oman into southern Iran, eastwards along the foothills of the Himalayas and abruptly stops in southern Thailand. Because they are only partially sympatric, the palaeoclimatic circumstances under which they may have speciated allopatrically are considered. A common and widespread pre-florea/andreniformis split could have occurred in the early Pleistocene followed by the Pre-Pastonian glacial (800-1,300 ka) which could well have provided a substantial barrier to gene flow for the then evolving proto-populations of A. andreniformis and A. florea.
Sociobiology
In this study, the morphometric diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Iranian honey bee populations, were investigated using 14 morphometric characteristics. A total of 2250 young adult worker bees from 20 different populations in 20 different provinces of Iran were collected during June to October 2014. The results of nested analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences (P<0.01) between the provinces for all analyzed morphometric traits indicating the existence of a diversity among them. Correlation coefficient analysis showed a high degree of association among the most of the traits. This correlation coefficient should be a putative mean to improve of certain characters in breeding of honey bee. Principal component analysis revealed three principal components explained 81.5% of the total variation. Cluster analysis using WARD method classified honey bee populations into two main groups. The first group includes the honey bees collected from North, No...
Distribution and variation of size of Apis florea F in Iran
Apidologie, 1995
— Fifteen samples of Apis florea worker bees were collected from nests found in Iranian provinces near the Persian Gulf, up to more than 33° north and to 1 900 m altitude. This indicates a wider range of ecological adaptability than had previously been assumed. A south-north geocline exists in size characteristics over about the same range as for A mellifera. The vertical ecocline, although present, was only partial and rather irregular. No climate-related variation in hair length was found in the species. The data are discussed in view of the rudimentary thermoregulation and possible seasonal migration behavior in A florea. Apis florea / Iran / Apis mellifera yemenitica / geographic variation / cline
Morphometric characterisation of the native Honeybee, Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758, of Saudi Arabia
Zoology in the Middle East, 2014
The morphometry of native honeybees from Saudi Arabia was analysed and compared with 7 Apis mellifera subspecies, based on 198 colony samples from 36 locations. Twenty five standard morphological characters were evaluated, and samples were compared with seven reference honeybee subspecies (Apis mellifera carnica, A. m. ligustica, A. m. meda, A. m. syriaca, A. m. lamarckii, A. m. litorea and A. m. jemenitica) obtained from the Oberursel Data Bank (Institut für Bienenkunde, Frankfurt University, Germany). Results confirmed that samples from Saudi Arabia are very similar to samples from the subspecies A. m. jemenitica (Ruttner, 1967), previously described from Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Samples were well-separated from the other subspecies, but the distinction was less in relation to A. m. litorea. While locally kept bees were well-separated, samples from migratory beekeeping showed broader variation and were less clearly separated, indicating the influence of ingression and hybridization with introduced honeybee subspecies.
Geographical distribution and population variation of Apis mellifera jemenitica Ruttner
Journal of Apicultural Research, 2013
The races of Apis mellifera L. have evolved as a result of long periods of geographical isolation and ecological adaptation. Among these subspecies, A. m. jemenitica Ruttner 1976 (Rutter 1976c) is particularly interesting because it is the only race reported to occur naturally in both Africa and Asia. According to the literature, its natural distribution is extremely large, extending for 4,500 km from the Arabian Peninsula to West Africa. However, different populations of A. m. jemenitica exhibit a high degree of morphometric variation. Moreover, published classifications of the subspecies do not agree; different names, including A. m. nubi, A. m. sudanensis, and A. m. bandasii have been applied to different populations of A. m. jemenitica. Although African and Asian A. m. jemenitica are reported to be morphometrically similar, genetic data have not shown African A. m. jemenitica to be genetically closer to the Asian A. m. jemenitica than to adjacent, contiguous African subspecies like A. m. litorea, A. m. adansonii and A. m. scutellata, which exchange genes continuously. Moreover, the African and Asian groups differ in migratory, aggressive, and brood-rearing behaviours. Thus, categorizing the geographically-isolated Asian and the African groups of A. m. jemenitica as one honey bee race is questionable. The other important issue is that the present homelands of A. m. jemenitica (near East Asia and East Africa) have been suggested as the geographic origin of A. mellifera. The existence of close similar population in both continents may support the suggestion that either of these two regions as may be the centre of origin and diversification of Apis mellifera. Distribución geográfica y la variación poblacional de Apis mellifera jemenitica Ruttner Resumen Las razas de Apis mellifera L. han evolucionado como consecuencia de largos períodos de aislamiento geográfico y de adaptación ecológica. Entre estas subespecies, A. m. jemenitica Ruttner 1976 (1976c) es particularmente interesante, ya que es la única raza reportado que ocurre de forma natural en África y Asia. De acuerdo con la literatura, su distribución natural es muy grande, y se extiende a lo largo de 4.500 km desde la Península Arábiga hasta África occidental. Sin embargo, las diferentes poblaciones de A. m. jemenitica exhiben un alto grado de variación morfométrica. Por otra parte, las clasificaciones publicadas de las subespecies no están de acuerdo; se han aplicado diferentes nombres, entre ellos A. m. nubi, A. m. sudanensis y A. m. bandasii a diferentes poblaciones de A. m. jemenitica. Aunque A. m. jemenitica de África y de Asia son similares morfométricamente, los datos genéticos no han demostrado que la A. m. jemenitica africana sea genéticamente más cercana a la A. m. jemenitica de Asia que a las subespecies africanas adyacentes, como A. m. litorea, A. m. adansonii y A. m. scutellata, con las que intercambia genes continuamente. Por otra parte, los grupos africanos y asiáticos difieren en comportamientos de migración, agresividad y crianza de la cría. Por lo tanto, la categorización de los geográficamente aislados grupos africanos y asiáticos de A. m. jemenitica como una raza de abejas es cuestionable. La otra cuestión importante es que los actuales países de origen de A. m. jemenitica (cerca de Asia y África Orientales) se han sugerido como el origen geográfico de A. mellifera. La existencia de una población similar en ambos continentes puede apoyar la idea de que cualquiera de estas dos regiones pudieran ser el centro de origen y diversificación de Apis mellifera.
2007
The variability of Apis mellifera mellifera in Eastern Europe was investigated with a morphometric analysis of 136 samples from Poland, Belarus and the Ukraine. Samples from the northern part of this area were unambiguously classified as A. m. mellifera, but the proportion of uncertain allocations increased towards the south, where some samples were classified as hybrids between A. m. mellifera and subspecies of the lineages C and O. In the Ukraine, one third of the samples were classified as A. m. mellifera, one third as A. m. macedonica, and one third as hybrids. Our results confirm earlier reports of a large hybrid zone in Poland and the Ukraine, but they unexpectedly also show a strong influence of the morphological O lineage. However, the true extension of this hybrid zone currently remains unknown. The bees of northeastern Belarus showed an extreme position on the border of the A. m. mellifera cluster, potentially indicating ecotypic variation within A. m. mellifera in the northeast of its range.
Insects, 2022
In Morocco, there are two well-recognised honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) subspecies: A. m. intermissa in the north and A. m. sahariensis in the south-east. The latter subspecies is found in the arid and semiarid climates of the Sahara Desert. In this study, we used honey bees from four areas of south-eastern Morocco which are, to some degree, isolated by arid zones. We analysed the shape and size of the forewings, using the method of geometric morphometrics. The bees from the four areas of south-eastern Morocco differed significantly in terms of wing shape. Moreover, bees from traditional hives were smaller than those from modern hives. The bees from south-eastern Morocco were clearly different from the reference samples obtained from the Morphometric Bee Data Bank in Oberursel, Germany, representing most of the global variation in honey bees. Surprisingly, the bees were also different from A. m. sahariensis, which should occur in the study area, according to earlier studies. This di...