As we have discussed in the past, the idea that color is a sure indication of lineage -- is simply not true. The following is from 1863, before honeybees were so thoroughly intercrossed as to reduce to nil the notion of subspecies.

Six principal varieties, with the following geographical distribution :--

1. The unicolorous, dark northern Bee (including the most nearly allied lighter varieties) occurs in Northern Europe, where until very lately it was the only form ; in the south of France, Portugal, the south of Spain, and Algiers ; likewise in some districts of Italy, in Dalmatia, Greece, the Crimea, and on the islands and coast of Asia Minor; lastly, in Guinea, at the Cape of Good Hope (probably introduced), and in a great part of North America (certainly introduced).

2. The Italian Bee (with a black scutellum) occurs almost exclusively in different districts of Italy, especially in the northern parts, including the Tyrol and the Valteline. Introduced lately into Northern Europe.

3. A variety differing from the Italian Bee in its yellow scutellum occurs in the south of France, in Sicily, Dalmatia, the Banat, the Crimea, the islands and continent of Asia Minor, and on the Caucasus.

4. The Egyptian Bee is diffused from Egypt, through Syria and Arabia, and passes imperceptibly, through a lighter variety occurring on the Himalaya and in China, into

5. The specific African Bee, which extends over the whole of Africa, from Abyssinia and Senegambia to the Cape.

6. The black Madagascar Bee is limited to Madagascar and the Mauritius.

comments:
From this we can see that black and yellow bees occur throughout the range of Apis mellifera in the 1800s. I would note the "Italian Bee (with a black scutellum)" and the variety of "Italian Bee in its yellow scutellum" which was said to occur in "Dalmatia" which then would have referred to Slovenia and Croatia, the home of the "Carniolan" bee.

PLB

SOURCE: Gerstäcker, A. (1863). XXXI.—On the geographical distribution and varieties of the Honey-Bee, with remarks upon the Exotic Honey-Bees of the Old World. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 11(64), 270-283.

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