Ruttner et al. (1978) proposed recognition of three subspecies groups. The groups were defined as 

Branch A, which included the subspecies from Africa (A. m. lamarckii, A. m. yemenitica, A. m. litorea, A. m. scutellata, A. m. monticola, A. m. adansonii, A. m. unicolor, A. m. capensis), 

Branch M, which included the subspecies from northern Europe (A. m. mellifera), Spain and Portugal (A. m. iberica), and northern Africa (A. m. intermissa, A. m. sahariensis, A. m. major)

Branch C, which included the subspecies from eastern Europe, northern Mediterranean, and the Middle East. 

Subsequently, Ruttner (1988, 1992) divided this latter subspecies group into two groups:

Branch C, which included subspecies from Italy (A. m. ligustica), Austria and Yugoslavia (A. m. carnica), northern Greece and Bulgaria (A. m. macedonica), southern Greece (A. m. cecropia) and Sicily (A. m. sicula), and 

Branch O, which serves as a basal group for the species and included subspecies from the Caucasus mountains (A. m. caucasica), Armenia (A. m. armeniaca), Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey (A. m. meda), Turkey (A. m. anatoliaca), Syria (A. m. syriaca), Cyprus (A. m. cypria), and Crete (A. m. adami).

According to a recent review of the intraspecific nomenclature of Apis mellifera (Engel, 1999), 10 valid subspecies are recognized in Africa: 

A. m. intermissa (Maa, 1953) and A. m. sahariensis (Baldensperger, 1932) in Maghreb, A. m. lamarckii (Cockerell, 1906) and A. m. jemenitica (Ruttner, 1976) in northeastern Africa, A. m. monticola and A. m. litorea (Smith, 1961) in southeastern Africa, A. m. unicolor (Latreille, 1804) in Madagascar, A. m. scutellata (Lepeletier, 1836) and A. m. capensis (Eschscholtz, 1822) in southern Africa, and A. m. adansonii (Latreille, 1804) in western Africa.

The honeybee subspecies from tropical and southern Africa (A. m. adansonii, A. m. monticola, A. m. scutellata, A. m. capensis and A. m. unicolor) are only slightly differentiated at the molecular level. The main explanation for the low molecular differentiation among African subspecies is probably a result of their highly migratory behaviour (absconding, swarming), specifically of A. m. adansonii and A. m. scutellata.

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