> Could the black bee in the US of the 1800s be a different bee  than the Amm found in the UK today?

> I have heard they  were German heath bees, but that may not be correct.

According to N. M. Schiff and W. S. Sheppard:

> Historical records support the successful introduction of A. m. mellifera into Virginia in the 17th century by settlers from England. During the period 1861-1922 seven additional races were introduced into North America. These included: A. m. ligustica from Italy, A. m. carnica from Carniola (Hungary, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Rumania), A. m. cypria from Cyprus, A. m. syriaca from what was then Palestine, A. m. caucasica from the Caucasus mountain region and two from Africa, A. m. intermissa from northwestern African (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya) and A. m. lamarckii from Egypt. There is also some indication that the honey bee race of Spain, A. m. iberica, may have been introduced. Despite these early introductions, only three races (ligustica, carnica, and caucasica) are generally
available and presumably constitute the current commercial population.

-- 
Peter L. Borst
Danby, NY  USA
42.35, -76.50

picasaweb.google.com/peterlborst

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