Hinfl Variation in Mitochondrial DNA of Old World Honey Bee Subspecies

Abstract

Intraspecific taxonomy of the honey bee, Apis mellifera, delineates about two dozen subspecies or geographic races occurring throughout the original range in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Variation in behavior, morphology, and genetic markers has been reported among the subspecies and has been used to assess the racial origins of introduced populations in the New World and Australia. We examined mitochondrial DNA variation among endemic honey bee subspecies using the restriction enzyme Hinfl. Twenty different mtDNA haplotypes were identified and their distribution among and within the subspecies improved resolution of relationships among some racial groups and provided unambiguous identification of some taxa.