> > This suggests that, compared to the Western honeybee that has a longer
> history of domestication, selection on the Asiatic honeybee has favored the
> generation of more variable antimicrobial peptides as protection against
> pathogens.
>
An alternative hypothesis is that A cerana has long been exposed to the
varroa mite, which opens feeding wounds by which bacteria gain entry to the
bees' haemolymph. I would expect A cerana to require more antibacterial
peptides than A mellifera for that reason alone.
I also question A cerana's lack of propolis--can someone on the List with
experience with A cerana confirm. I have one report from an observer who
says that there is resinous substance near the colony entrances.
Randy Oliver
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