Genetic characterization of the bees of Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Abstract

SUMMARY On Kangaroo Island, South Australia, an introduced population of Apis mellifera ligustica has reputedly not hybridized with other A. mellifera subspecies due to isolation. Bees were collected from each of 24 Kangaroo Island colonies to confirm their subspecies. Electromorph relative frequencies for the Kangaroo Island population were: malate dehydrogenase enzyme system, Mdh⁶⁵ = 0.13, Mdh⁸⁰ = 0.11 and Mdh¹⁰⁰ = 0.76; esterase system, Est¹⁰⁰ = 0.95, and Est¹³⁰ = 0.05. Such frequencies are similar to A. m. ligustica populations from southern Italy, but dissimilar to populations from northern Italy. Morphology of Kangaroo Island bees is similar to A. m. ligustica reference specimens. Mitochondrial DNA restriction mapping suggested that the Kangaroo Island population is of A. m. mellifera origin. It is concluded that available reference material is inadequate to conclusively determine the racial origin of the Kangaroo Island population, but that recent hybridization has not occurred.