Africanized honeybee population (Apis mellifera L.) in Nicaragua: Forewing length and mitotype lineages.

ABSTRACT: Various subspecies of Apis mellifera L. were introduced to Central America since colonization 500 years ago. Hybridization increased with the entrance of the Africanized bee in Nicaragua in 1984. Rustic beekeeping activities and numerous feral swarms define the genetic pattern, reflected in phenotypic heterogeneity and remarkable differences in the behaviour of the bee colonies, especially the nest defence. Due to these facts, the question emerge about the degree of Africanization of honeybee colonies in Nicaragua. In this study, we identified Africanized honeybee colonies based on the single character "mean forewing length" and we corroborated our results by determining mitotypes using mtDNA analysis. Morphometric and genetic approaches were realized in three different geographical zones

SUBMITTER: Duttmann C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9037913 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature