> The Western honeybee, Apis mellifera has the highest metazoan recombination rate reported so far. Proximate or ultimate causes for this elevated recombination rate have not yet been resolved. In a comparative study, we investigated meiotic recombination in the red dwarf honeybee Apis florea.

> Open-nesting A. florea is more exposed to parasites and pathogens and environmental fluctuations, which may both select for higher genetic diversity within colonies, and thus higher recombination rate.

> However, temperate races of A. mellifera constantly reuse their comb over many generations and display sophisticated hygienic behavior (Rothenbuhler 1964), which could be interpreted as evidence for higher pathogen pressure in this species. More quantitative research in these regards is clearly needed.

Comparative Linkage Mapping Suggests a High Recombination Rate in All Honeybees
EMILY R. MEZNAR et al. 2010. Journal of Heredity

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