Free-living vs. managed honey bees – a population genetic approach
2022
Аутори:
Davidović, SlobodanPatenković, Aleksandra
Erić, Katarina
Erić, Pavle
Stanisavljević, Ljubiša
Tanasković, Marija
Тип документа:
Конференцијски прилог (Објављена верзија)
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© 2022 by the European Association for Bee Research
Метаподаци
Приказ свих података о документуАпстракт:
The honey bee is one of the most economically and ecologically important species currently facing serious challenges. Its history is marked by strong anthropogenic influence and its local populations are rapidly changing while its diversity is constantly manipulated by beekeepers through the import of foreign queens, selection, and migratory beekeeping. The practice of queen importation caused one of the most disastrous events in the history of beekeeping when in the mid-20th century Varroa mite was accidentally imported to Europe. This infestation, combined with the degradation of natural habitats, was believed to have caused the disappearance of free-living populations throughout European forests. Recent studies challenge this view and demonstrate that honey bees are able to survive in nature without human interference.
To assess the genetic diversity of different honey bee colonies, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA and 14 microsatellite loci in samples collected from 102 apiaries (with 542 hives) and 55 free-living colonies (FC) from the urban and natural environments throughout Serbia.
Standard parameters of genetic diversity for both genetic markers showed that FC exhibit higher values compared to managed colonies (MC). Values of pairwise F ST genetic distances were higher when FC were compared to MC from different parts of Serbia while MC exhibited somewhat lower values when compared among themselves. Relatedness estimates demonstrated that feral colonies are more related among themselves than they are to other MC and vice versa, implying the existence of a viable and stable free-living population of honey bees. A significant change in the distribution and diversity of mtDNA lineages among MC compared to the historical data for Serbia was detected while genetic analysis based on microsatellite data demonstrated a high genetic uniformity.
Our data confirmed the existence of a genetically diverse and distinctive free-living population of honey bees in Serbia worthy of protection as well as a significant change in the genetic diversity of managed honey bees that calls for immediate change in the current beekeeping practices so that genetic diversity of locally adapted populations could be preserved.
Кључне речи:
genetic diversity; Apis mellifera; feral honey beesФинансирање / пројекти:
- Министарство науке, технолошког развоја и иновација Републике Србије, институционално финансирање - 200007 (Универзитет у Београду, Институт за биолошка истраживања 'Синиша Станковић') (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200007)
- SERBHIWE - Honey Bees of Serbia, Wild Vs. Managed Colonies Through the Eyes of Population Geneticists (RS-ScienceFundRS-Promis-6066205)
У:
- Abstract Book: EurBee 9: 9th European Congress of Apidology; 2022 Sep 20-22; Belgrade, Serbia. European Association for Bee Research; 2022. p. 48-9.