Climate change is a powerful driver of stress, as it reinforces hotter and drier environments. For bees, the most concerning aspects of these new environmental conditions are the resistance and resilience of bees to changes in temperature, humidity and ultraviolet radiation, as well as the negative effect on diversity of food resources which can lead in nutritional stress. The climatic vulnerability of various ...
The genetic patterns of Middle Eastern A. mellifera subspecies have been understudied, hindering a comprehensive understanding of honey bee evolutionary history. Here, we studied the genetic integrity of five Middle Eastern subspecies across a broad geographical range: Turkey (A. m. anatoliaca, N=97; A. m. caucasia, N=75; A. m. syriaca, N=18), Jordan and Lebanon (A. m. syriaca, N=238 and N=29), Iran (A. m. meda...
The population structure of North African A. mellifera subspecies has been overlooked. Here, WG generated from drones were analyzed to assess population structure and the conservation status of three A-lineage subspecies: A. m. lamarckii (Egypt, 68 samples), A. m. intermissa (Algeria, 69 samples), and A. m. sahariensis (Algeria, 68 samples; Morocco, 26 samples). Population structure was assessed by SNMF and PCA...
Glacial refugia harbor populations with complex diversity patterns. In honey bees, the Iberian and Italian Peninsulas served as two of the most important glacial refugia in Europe. Here, we analyzed whole genomes generated from drones to infer population structure, genetic diversity, and the molecular basis of the local adaptation for the two native subspecies of these Peninsulas: A. m. iberiensis (N=86; M-line...
Honey is highly susceptible to adulteration. Currently, the assessment of its geographical origin remains one of the most difficult tasks, which is typically performed by melyssopalynology. Recently, the attention has shifted towards indirect approaches such as the entomological origin based on geographical distribution patterns of honey bee subspecies. Although queens’ trade has impacted the natural subspecies...
Apis mellifera ruttneri is the native honey bee subspecies from the Maltese islands (Malta, Comino and Gozo). This African-lineage subspecies is adapted to the harsh environmental conditions and to the limited forage season of these islands. For many years, it was considered highly hybridized, due to the large and sustained importation of foreign subspecies, especially A. m. ligustica, perceived by many beekeep...
A abelha melífera, Apis mellifera, é composta por 31 subespécies que se encontram distribuídas na Ásia, África e Europa. O objetivo deste trabalho é desvendar a estrutura populacional e verificar o estado de conservação de três subespécies do Médio Oriente, as quais têm sido pouco estudadas. Para isso, foi extraído o DNA a partir de tóraxes inteiros de machos de 329 amostras de A. m. lamarckii (Egito, 68 amostr...
Beekeeping is an ecologically and economically important activity in the Mediterranean that is increasingly under threat from a combination of factors. In the MEDIBEES (Monitoring the Mediterranean honey bee subspecies and their resilience to climate change for the improvement of sustainable agro-ecosystems) PRIMA project we aim to identify honey bees that show resilience to stressors associated with climate ch...
Beekeeping provides livelihood for hundreds of thousands of beekeepers in the Mediterranean area. This activity relies on a number of different indigenous Apis mellifera subspecies, adapted to the very diverse and harsh conditions of the region. Climate change is expected to increase the stress factors affecting bees, especially in this region, reducing both pollination efficiency and production potential. Unfo...
O MEDIBEES - “Monitorização das subespécies de abelhas do Mediterrâneo e a sua resiliência às mudanças climáticas para o melhoramento sustentável dos agroecossistemas” – é um projeto científico financiado pela Comissão Europeia, no âmbito do programa PRIMA SECTION 1 2020 FARMING RIA (tópico 1.2.1-2020 “Genetic conservation and animal feeds; sub-tópico A - Conservation and valorization of local Animal Genetic Re...