Current genetic diversity of managed and commercially produced Apis mellifera colonies in Argentina inferred by wing geometric morphometrics and COI-COII mtDNA locus

PORRINI, LEONARDO PABLO; QUINTANA, SILVINA; BRASESCO, CONSTANZA; MAGGI, MATIAS DANIEL; PORRINI, MARTÍN PABLO; GARRIDO, MELISA PAULA; FERNÁNDEZ IRIARTE, PEDRO JOSÉ; EGUARAS, MARTÍN JAVIER

APIDOLOGIE

EDP SCIENCES S A

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2022 vol. 53 p. 53 - 61

0044-8435

Abstract – The current genetic diversity of Apis mellifera colonies in Argentina was evaluated using geometricmorphometric analysis of wing shape in 480 managed colonies collected in different regions and 154 coloniescommercially produced by 28 different queen breeders. In addition, mitotype (COI-COII) characterization wasconducted on queen breeders’ colonies. We found European morphotypes in managed colonies from centraland southern regions and greater diversity of A. mellifera subspecies compared to the northern region whereAfrican morphotype predominates. In queen breeders’ colonies, we found a fairly heterogeneous degree ofhybridization, similar to managed colonies in the central and southern regions but with a clear predominanceof A. m. ligustica and A. m. carnica, which was consistent with the mitotype analysis. Current genetic diversityin Argentina is wide and comprises mainly seven subspecies belonging to four evolutionary lineages (C, M, A,and O). This probably results from both historical and current importation events, transhumance, and exchangeof queens between regions lacking strong geographical barriers, in combination with genetic dominance factors,gene flow, or adaptation to different environmental conditions.