"They typically supersede rather than swarm - another good trait; we see many
3 and 4 year old queens that are then superseded without swarming.  Mother
and daughter are often seen together".
 
I see this as wel in our mellifera, I think it might be related to selective pressure of their location, a very windy island. I have 6 pure colonies here on the main land in which we look at things like mite reproduction. Where the carnica colonies make 3-10 queen cells. the mellifera make 10-20. 
 
The multi queen thing I see too. Some time ago I fortified a small colony with bees from another. There was some fighting and the next day I found a dead queen in front of the hive. I was already cursing myself for being sloppy and not using very young bees only but when I opened the colony behavior was normal and I found a laying queen doing here thing. On the island itself I have seen double queens in say 2 out of 25 colonies this year. 
 
Typical for ours is the presence of chalk brood. I really never see that on the main land but it common in island colonies. 
 
I like our mellifera a lot. They have something ant like about them. Small, runny, shiny, blackish color. 
 
Some pics:
 
http://imkerforum.nordbiene.de/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=978
 
Lennard 
 

 

 		 	   		  
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