Defense Response in Brazilian Honey Bees (Apis mellifera scutellata × spp.) Is Underpinned by Complex Patterns of Admixture.

ABSTRACT: In 1957, an invasive and highly defensive honey bee began to spread across Brazil. In the previous year, Brazilian researchers hoped to produce a subtropical-adapted honey bee by crossing local commercial honey bees (of European origin) with a South African honey bee subspecies (Apis mellifera scutellata; an A-lineage honey bee subspecies). The resulting cross-African hybrid honey bees (AHBs)-escaped from their enclosure and spread through the Americas. Today, AHB is the most common honey bee from Northern Argentina to the Southern United States. AHBs are much more likely to sting nest intruders than managed European-derived honey bee colonies. Previous studies have explored how genetic variation contributes to differences in defense response between European-derived honey bee and AHB. Alt

SUBMITTER: Harpur BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7487160 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature