One often hears of "locally adapted" honey bees, and how they are preferable to bees that are less localized. I think this is a mistake. 

> From an evolutionary perspective, the fittest individuals are simply the ones who have the combination of traits that allow them to survive and produce more offspring that in turn survive to reproduce. In fact, they may be relatively weak, small, and not particularly intelligent. What makes an individual fit all depends on the environment at the time and the combination of traits that are most suited to flourishing in it. In the case of Darwin's finches, specialized beaks provided the advantage. However, in a changing environment, it is often the versatile generalist who has the greatest success.

I think the overall success of honey bees worldwide is evidence that they are not locally adapted but rather, high adaptable. This ability to respond to local conditions, whatever they are, makes them a successful species. Were they tightly linked to certain climates, or certain floral resources, this could prevent them from making necessary adjustments when the conditions change. Specialist species are frequently in trouble when the conditions of their specialization change.

PLB

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