>
> >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.


My guess is that the difference is more likely due to the long term presence
of varroa in Apis cerana.  Varroa feeding wounds introduce bacteria into bee
pupae.

Randy Oliver

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