-Within the western honey bee (Apis mellifera ), there are more than 20 recognised subspecies. It is well known that these subspecies differ in their wing venation patterns. However, there is a demand for efficient tools to identify honey bee subspecies, ecotypes, populations or hybrids. The aim of this study was to develop a fast and easy identification method based on analysing forewing vein patterns of honey bees by geometric morphometrics. Reference samples for the subspecies were obtained from the Morphometric Bee Data Bank in Oberursel, Germany. These contained 187 honey bee colonies allocated into 25 subspecies from four evolutionary lineages. The identification of evolutionary lineages of honey bees based on forewing venations proved to be highly reliable, which confirms earlier studies. The accuracy of honey bee subspecies identification was less consistent and ranged from 100 to 50% and was particularly low in African honey bees. The obtained identification data were exported to the IdentiFly computer software, which is freely available.honey bee / subspecies discrimination / geometric morphometry / wing morphometry
In the present study, the microtaxonomy of honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) subspecies was reevaluated based on a geometric morphometric method. Wing images of honeybee subspecies, obtained from the Morphometric Bee Data Bank in Oberursel, Germany, were assigned to four honeybee lineages from the indivudial images, and 40 Cartesian coordinates were obtained. Honeybee lineages were significantly different based on individual and colony consensus average wing shapes of honeybee subspecies (P<0.001). According to the discriminant function analysis of honeybee lineages, the A lineage and M lineage showed some degree of overlap. Multivariate statistical analysis displayed that Apis mellifera intermissa, a member of M lineage, seemed to belong to the A lineage. In addition, Apis mellifera sicula, a member of C lineage; Apis mellifera sahariensis, a member of M lineage; and Apis mellifera syriaca, a member of O lineage, were located closer to the A lineage rather than to their own lineages. In the previous studies, the results of principal component analysis of morphometric data and the mtDNA analysis of honeybee subspecies supported these subspecific affinities. Thus, geometric morphometric analysis of wing shape could be used as a reliable tool to discriminate among honeybee subspecies and may have advantages over standard morphometry.Apis mellifera / geometric morphometric / landmark / subspecies / discriminant function analysis
tivariate statistical analysis of morphometric data [30]. Honey bee races in this region include the subspecies Apis mellifera anatoliaca, A. m. caucasica, A. m. meda, and A. m. syriaca, which were considered by Ruttner [30] to form a basal branch (O) of the species. Another subspecies that is found in the European part of Turkey, i.e., Thrace, may be A. m. carnica, which belongs to the branch C of Ruttner's classification.
INTRODUCTIONRuttner [30] claimed that southwest Asia is a zone of high morphological diversification and evolution for honeybees. Many clearly distinct races have evolved within this region, which includes a diversity of habitats. Asia Minor, including Anatolia, appears to be the genetic center for these honeybee subspecies according to the mul-
Original articleGenetic and morphometric variation in honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) populations of Turkey Abstract -Six enzyme systems were studied to determine the genetic variability in honeybee populations in Turkey. Ten morphometric characters were also measured to determine the extent of morphometric variation. Out of six enzyme systems, four were found to be polymorphic with 16 allozymes. The average heterozygosity was calculated as 0.072 ± 0.007. Morphometric and electrophoretic variables were equally effective in discriminating honeybee populations. European and Anatolian honeybees were separated on the first axis, and Anatolian honeybees were further separated along a second canonical axis. The observation of rare alleles in isoenzymes, detection of high genetic diversity and the presence of four known subspecies support the argument that Anatolia has been a genetic center for honeybee populations in the Near East.Apis mellifera anatoliaca / A. m. caucasica / A. m. meda / A. m. syriaca / population genetics / genetic variability / morphometry / electrophoresis / Turkey
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