I don't think one need recourse to geology when talking about any African/Spanish connection. While as has been said, it's not even conceivable that during the 7 centuries of Moslem presence there were not bees moving between Iberia and Africa, one doesn't even have to use this example. Carthage dominated Spain a thousand years before this. Romans and Carthaginians even threw bees at each other duing sea battles. Allen's comments about the Spanish connection providing pockets of African bees before the Apis m.m. wave would go along way to explain the total lack of observable differences in some of my South African hives and one in particular of my Santa Maria Ca. "Black Spanish" hives. Very interesting topic indeed. Best Tim Vaughan