On Thu, 8 May 2008 11:50:15 GMT, [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> are the bees that migrated north on their own from brazil different from
these other introductions?  do the morphometric and dna databases that are
used to identify "africanized" bees discriminate between these different
introductions?

Debbie Delaney explained that formerly it was believed that there were four
evolutionary branches of Apis mellifera based on morphology (anatomical
features): 

M, from western Europe and related to A. m. mellifera
C, from eastern Europe and related to A.m. ligustica and carnica
O, from western Asia and related to A.m. caucasica
A, from Africa and related to all the African races, like A.m. scutellata
and A.m. adansonii.

Using newer analytical tools, like mitochondrial DNA analysis, there seems
to be only three ancient lineages, with the former O group belonging with
the C group.

Honey bees from the M group were introduced into what is now the U.S. in the
1600’s. Between 1859 and 1922, seven more races of bees were introduced into
the country, including the well-known Italian, Carniolan, and Caucasian
bees. Cyprian, Egyptian, Syrian and three races of African bees eventually
were introduced into the country, as well.

In the early 1990’s, M and C lineages could be found in southern and western
lines, but A was not around. The bees in the southern and western geographic
regions were genetically distinct. In the southern populations the C lineage
is increasing and the M is shrinking. In the western lines the same
phenomenon is occurring. 

What does this mean to U.S. beekeepers? The gene pools of commercial and
feral populations, with the notable exception of the A group, are shrinking.
Genes for important functions in honey bee life may be disappearing. In this
researcher’s opinion, it would be a good idea to select some good stocks
from the geographic origins of these [European] races and re-introduce their
genetic material back into our stocks of bees. 

Eric Mussen
Entomology
University of California
Davis, CA 95616

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