Microsatellite analysis of non-migratory colonies of Apis mellifera iberica from south-eastern Spain

Authors: De la Rúa, P.¹; Galián, J.¹; Serrano, J.¹; Moritz, R. F. A.²

Source: Journal of Zoological Systematics & Evolutionary Research, Volume 40, Number 3, September 2002 , pp. 164-168(5)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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Abstract:

Forty-five unmanaged honeybee colonies from the south-east of the Iberian Peninsula (Apis mellifera iberica) were selected for analysing their genetic structure using eight microsatellite loci. These colonies were not subjected to management for queen replacement, rearing or migratory movements and previous studies showed that they had mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of African origin. Six of the microsatellite loci show intermediate levels of polymorphism with a total number of alleles detected per locus ranging from 4 to 10. Microsatellite data relate these Iberian populations to the African A. m. intermissa, although the presence of some alleles and the observed heterozygosity are characteristic of the European A. m. mellifera, thus corroborating the postulated hybrid origin of A. m. iberica. The results suggest that no recent introgression from Africa has happened and that the populations of A. m. iberica are differentiated in many demes.

Keywords: Apis mellifera iberica; microsatellites; genetic variability; biogeography; south east Spain

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0469.2002.00187.x

Affiliations: 1: Departamento de Biología Animal, Universidad de Murcia, Apdo. 4021, Murcia, Spain; 2: Institut für Zoologie und Molekulare Ökologie, Martin-Luther Universität, Kröllwitzerstr. 44, Halle/Saale, Germany

Publication date: 2002-09-01