Explore the vast range of titles available.

Analysis of the mtDNA variation in Apis mellifera L. has allowed distinguishing subspecies and evolutionary lineages by means of different molecular methods; from RFLP, to PCR-RFLP and direct sequencing. Likewise, geometric morphometrics (GM) has been used to distinguish Africanized honey bees with a high degree of consistency with studies using molecular information. High-resolution fusion analysis (HRM) allows one to quickly identify sequence polymorphisms by comparing DNA melting curves in short amplicons generated by real-time PCR (qPCR). The objective of this work was to implement the HRM technique in the diagnosis of Africanization of colonies of A. mellifera from Argentina, using GM as a validation method. DNA was extracted from 60 A. mellifera colonies for mitotype identification. Samples were initially analyzed by HRM, through qPCRs of two regions (485 bp/385 bp) of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cytb). This technique was then optimizing to amplify a smaller PCR product (207 bp) for the HRM diagnosis for the Africanization of colonies. Of the 60 colony samples analyzed, 41 were classified as colonies of European origin whereas 19 revealed African origin. All the samples classified by HRM were correctly validated by GM, demonstrating that this technique could be implemented for a rapid identification of African mitotypes in Apis mellifera samples.

The African honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera scutellata has colonized much of the Americas in less than 50 years and has largely replaced European bees throughout its range in the New World. The African bee therefore provides an excellent opportunity to examine the factors that influence invasion success. We provide a synthesis of recent research on the African bee, concentrating on its ability to displace European honey bees. Specifically, we consider ( a ) the genetic composition of the expanding population and the symmetry of gene flow between African and European bees, ( b ) the mechanisms that favor the preservation of the African genome, and ( c ) the possible range and impact of the African bee in the United States.

Acarapis woodi Rennie (Acari: Tarsonemidae) is an endoparasitic mite, which can affect the respiratory system in the honey bee Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) causing mortality. This mite was first recorded in Brazil in the 1970s, but its current presence is unclear. Therefore, we evaluated the presence of A. woodi in the Africanized honey bee A. mellifera in Brazil, to update the occurrence data of this parasite, 47 yr after its detection. We examined a total of 153 honey bee colonies, from 15 different states using dissection and molecular techniques. This is the first study of the detection of A. woodi in Brazil using molecular techniques. The results were negative for both methods employed, and we can conclude that A. woodi is not present in Africanized honey bee colonies in Brazil.

The objectives were to evaluate the biodiversity of bees, forage behavior and their effect on fruit production in the gherkin crop (Cucumis anguria L.) in the campus of the University Center Moura Lacerda in two years. The frequency and type of collection of the insects in the flowers was observed by counting from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., in the first 10 minutes of each time, for three distinct days in each year. The percentage of fruiting was quantified in 25 female flowers covered with nylon compared to the 25 female flowers uncovered in the two years. The flowers were visited by the Africanized honey bees Apis mellifera and the native bees Plebeia sp., Exomalopsis sp. and Melissodes sp., and the Africanized honey bees presented higher frequency and constancy with a higher number of visits in the male flowers compared to the female ones and these visits occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Without the visitation of the bees there was no fruit production, and both the Africanized honey bee and the native ones when collecting nectar and pollen, visited both female and male flowers, carrying pollen in their body, being considered important pollinators of this culture.

The biodiversity of Brazil provides an excellent climate and favorable pollination conditions for Apis mellifera L., especially in the Eastern Amazon region, which boasts vast floral wealth, including an abundance of açaí (Euterpe oleracea) flowers and fruits. In the present study, seven types of honey were evaluated: three containing floral nectar from açaí (Açaí honey) collected in the Eastern Amazon region (Açaí honey from Breu Branco (AH1 and AH2) and Açaí honey from Santa Maria (AH3), both from the state of Pará, Brazil) and four honeys from different regions of Brazil (Aroeira honey from Minas Gerais, Cipó-Uva honey from Distrito Federal, Mangue honey from Pará, and Timbó honey from Rio Grande do Sul). The characteristics of these honeys were evaluated by examining their physicochemical properties, melissopalynological aspects, color, antioxidant potential, and their constituent compounds, which were confirmed through GC-MS analysis. Açaí floral nectar honeys presented physicochemical results similar to those of other honeys, aligning with Brazilian legislation norms, but differed in their high values of free acidity, apparent sugars, and lower reducing sugars, which are directly related to their botanical origin. These differences correlate with unique flavor and distinct aroma characteristics. Melissopalynological analysis confirmed the botanical origin of the honeys containing açaí floral nectar, which had a color range from amber to dark amber. The three açaí honeys demonstrated high antioxidant capacity and superior flavonoid and polyphenol content compared to other honeys, particularly the açaí honey from Breu Branco (AH1), which had four times the content to combat free radicals compared to the honey with the highest potential (Aroeira honey). GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of antioxidant properties as well as potential anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, and antitumor capabilities in açaí honeys, which have not yet been fully studied.

Honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) are not native to the New World. The initial introduction of the species to the Americas occurred from Europe, with subsequent introductions from Africa. The African bees hybridized with European bees and are now referred to as Africanized bees. A large feral population was established and subsequently colonized extensive areas of both the North and South American continents, including Mexico. The aim of this study was to conduct a morphometric analysis of geographic variation among Africanized bees. Recently acquired data from Southeastern Mexico were compared with existing datasets of Africanized bees and evolutionary lineages from the Old World. The forewing venation was described using 19 landmarks. The honey bees originating from southeastern Mexico exhibited significant differences from all other investigated populations. It is necessary to verify if the observed geographic variation within Africanized bees is related to natural selection or other factors, including hybridization or genetic drift. Furthermore, honey bees from populations in the USA and Argentina, which appear to have not been affected by Africanization, differed markedly from honey bees naturally occurring in Europe and can be classified as hybrids between evolutionary lineages.

Over the last few decades, honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) populations have been challenged by multiple factors including pathogens and parasites, which often act concurrently to cause severe health problems. One honey bee pathogen linked to colony losses worldwide is the microsporidian Nosema spp . , which affects adult bees. Workers infected with Nosema often exhibit shorter lifespans, forage prematurely, and are susceptible to other pathogens. Our main goals were to quantify the levels of Nosema spp . infection in a wild honey bee population at the Welder Wildlife Refuge (WWR) in south Texas, and to compare them to infection levels in colonies from a nearby managed apiary. We hypothesized that wild colonies would have lower infection levels than managed colonies due to their unique life history traits, including lower colony density per unit area, which decreases the likelihood of cross-colony disease transmission. We collected foragers from the entrance of 18 wild colonies at the WWR and 19 managed colonies at the nearby apiary. We then performed individual Nosema spp . spore counts on ten workers per colony to calculate an average spore count per bee. On average, wild colonies had 25,556 spores/bee, while managed colonies had 130,526 spores/bee, both considered to be low. There were no differences in infection levels between colony types. All samples tested positive for N. ceranae ; no N. apis was detected. Our results suggest that wild colonies at the WWR have historically been infected with Nosema spp. at low levels and can thrive in the absence of human intervention.

Since the rapid spread and establishment of Africanized honey bee populations in South America, Africanized bees have persisted as the dominant strain. Remarkably, Chile has remained free of Africanized bee populations, making the country a valuable exporter of mated queens. Given Chile’s pivotal role in the apiculture industry, monitoring the genetic makeup of its honey bee colonies is crucial, yet documentation has been limited to a few studies. Here, we evaluate the ancestral composition of honey bees across eleven different regions in Chile. We find that Chilean honey bees have low levels of admixture, which is markedly lower relative to commercial colonies located internationally. The genetic ancestry of Chilean honey bees is primarily of Eastern European origin, with low levels of Western European ancestry. Finally, we detect a significant relationship between geography and genetic ancestry, suggesting regional adaptations that warrant further investigation.

RNA viruses often comprise multiple variants that co‐circulate in a host population, with potentially complex dynamics. Deformed wing virus (DWV), arguably the most impactful virus of honey bees (Apis mellifera), nowadays exists as two major variants, genotypes A (DWV‐A) and B (DWV‐B), which provide an amenable window into the dynamics of multi‐variant pathogens. DWV‐B has increased in prevalence over the past two decades in honey bees in Europe, largely replacing DWV‐A. DWV‐B arrived over a decade ago in the New World, where its prevalence has also increased markedly in temperate North American honey bees. The Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico is home to a high density of both managed and feral Africanized honey bees (AHBs), which are also known to be infected by DWV, though variant dynamics in this tropical location have not been explored. Here, we present two temporally separated datasets on viral prevalence that demonstrate the presence of both DWV genotypes in Yucatecan AHBs in 2010, though with surprisingly little change in the high prevalence of DWV‐A and low prevalence of DWV‐B through to 2019. Epidemiological modeling suggests that the dynamics of DWV genotypes in AHBs of Yucatan may be due to a form of superinfection exclusion (SIE). We model one potential form of SIE, inter‐genotype recombination meltdown. In addition to providing information on the epidemiology of a major honey bee virus in the Neotropics, our results provide broader insight into the evolutionary dynamics of viruses that comprise two or more co‐occurring variants.

A prominent theory states that animal phenotypes arise by evolutionary changes in gene regulation, but the extent to which this theory holds true for behavioral evolution is not known. Because \"nature and nurture\" are now understood to involve hereditary and environmental influences on gene expression, we studied whether environmental influences on a behavioral phenotype, i.e., aggression, could have evolved into inherited differences via changes in gene expression. Here, with microarray analysis of honey bees, we show that aggression-related genes with inherited patterns of brain expression are also environmentally regulated. There were expression differences in the brain for hundreds of genes between the highly aggressive Africanized honey bee compared with European honey bee (EHB) subspecies. Similar results were obtained for EHB in response to exposure to alarm pheromone (which provokes aggression) and when comparing old and young bees (aggressive tendencies increase with age). There was significant overlap of the gene lists generated from these three microarray experiments. Moreover, there was statistical enrichment of several of the same cis regulatory motifs in promoters of genes on all three gene lists. Aggression shows a remarkably robust brain molecular signature regardless of whether it occurs because of inherited, age-related, or environmental (social) factors. It appears that one element in the evolution of different degrees of aggressive behavior in honey bees involved changes in regulation of genes that mediate the response to alarm pheromone.