ENVS 2210 Lecture 6: Unit 6
24 Mar 2017
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Unit 6: honey bee adaptation and diversity: races, strains, and hybrids. Origin of honey bees: widespread in southern asia suggests asiatic origin, genomic studies point towards and african origin. Races (subspecies) of honey bees: subspecies or race, taxonomic rank below species, genetically distinct populations that interbreed within the same species. Italian bees (apis mellifera ligustica: yellow-brown bee with black stripes, originated in southern italy, most common honey bee race in north america, advantages, good honey production, resistance to diseases, acceptable temper, low swarming tendency, good overwintering ability, disadvantages. Inefficient use of food reserves (tend to maintain populated colonies year-round), robbing tendency: there is considerable interbreeding between races. Italian ancestry dominates most of the honey bee genetics in north. Hybrid bees resistance, gentleness, etc: result from crossing bee races or strains, meant to take advantage of heterosis or hybrid vigour, hybrids preform better than their parents, were very popular but have been abandoned lately.
