Honey bees of Ethiopia: Their lineages and subspecies based on morphometrics, mitochondrial DNA, and mandibular gland pheromone analyses.

ABSTRACT: Apiculture is a vital economic sector in Ethiopia, providing income and employment for over two million people. However, the classification of the honey bee subspecies in Ethiopia remains debatable. To shed light on this, we analysed wing geometric and classical morphometrics, mandibular gland pheromones, and COI-COII mitochondrial DNA sequences from worker honey bees collected across high, mid and low elevation gradients within Oromia, Amhara, and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples' (SNNP) regions. Our results revealed significant regional morphological and pheromonal variation driven by elevation. Wing size increased with altitude, suggesting adaptive responses to elevation. Classical morphometrics supported this trend, with bees at higher elevation exhibiting larger flight struc

SUBMITTER: Wanore WW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12594397 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature