Evolution of extreme polyandry: an estimate of mating frequency in two African honeybee subspecies, Apis mellifera monticola and A.m. scutellata

2000 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Franck ◽  
N. Koeniger ◽  
G. Lahner ◽  
R.M. Crewe ◽  
M. Solignac
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Mating Frequency ◽  
Extreme Polyandry ◽  
Honeybee Subspecies ◽  
African Honeybee

scholarly journals Characterization of an unusually conserved AluI highly reiterated DNA sequence family from the honeybee, Apis mellifera.

Genetics ◽  
1993 ◽  
Vol 134 (4) ◽  
pp. 1195-1204
Author(s):  
S Tarès ◽  
J M Cornuet ◽  
P Abad
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Dna Sequence ◽  
Dna Sequences ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Sequence Divergence ◽  
Repeated Sequence ◽  
Consensus Sequences ◽  
Dna Sequence Data ◽  
Repeat Class ◽  
Honeybee Subspecies

Abstract An AluI family of highly reiterated nontranscribed sequences has been found in the genome of the honeybee Apis mellifera. This repeated sequence is shown to be present at approximately 23,000 copies per haploid genome constituting about 2% of the total genomic DNA. The nucleotide sequence of 10 monomers was determined. The consensus sequences is 176 nucleotides long and has an A + T content of 58%. There are clusters of both direct and inverted repeats. Internal subrepeating units ranging from 11 to 17 nucleotides are observed, suggesting that it could have evolved from a shorter sequence. DNA sequence data reveal that this repeat class is unusually homogeneous compared to the other class of invertebrate highly reiterated DNA sequences. The average pairwise sequence divergence between the repeats is 2.5%. In spite of this unusual homogeneity, divergence has been found in the repeated sequence hybridization ladder between four different honeybee subspecies. Therefore, the AluI highly reiterated sequences provide a new probe for fingerprinting in A. m. mellifera.

scholarly journals Low fertility, fecundity and numbers of mated female offspring explain the lower reproductive success of the parasitic mite Varroa destructor in African honeybees

Parasitology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 145 (12) ◽  
pp. 1633-1639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beatrice T. Nganso ◽  
Ayuka T. Fombong ◽  
Abdullahi A. Yusuf ◽  
Christian W. W. Pirk ◽  
Charles Stuhl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Low Fertility ◽  
Mite Infestation ◽  
Unmated Female ◽  
Mite Reproduction ◽  
Worker Brood ◽  
Honeybee Subspecies

AbstractAlthough Varroa destructor is the most serious ecto-parasite to the honeybee, Apis mellifera L., some honeybee populations such as Apis mellifera scutellata in Kenya can survive mite infestations without treatment. Previously, we reported that grooming behaviour could be a potential tolerant mechanism expressed by this honeybee subspecies towards mite infestation. However, both hygienic and grooming behaviours could not explain the lower mite-infestation levels recorded in these colonies. Here, we investigated the involvement of other potential resistant mechanisms including suppression of mite reproduction in worker brood cells of A. m. scutellata to explain the low mite numbers in their colonies. High infertility rates (26–27%) and percentages of unmated female offspring (39–58%) as well as low fecundity (1.7–2.2, average offspring produced) were identified as key parameters that seem to interact with one another during different seasons to suppress mite reproduction in A. m. scutellata colonies. We also identified offspring mortality in both sexes and absence of male offspring as key factors accounting for the low numbers of mated daughter mites produced in A. m. scutellata colonies. These results suggest that reduced mite reproductive success could explain the slow mite population growth in A. m. scutellata colonies.

scholarly journals Mating frequency of Apis mellifera jemenitica under desert conditions of Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 578-581
Author(s):  
Yehya Alattal ◽  
Ramzi Al-Sarhan ◽  
Ahmad Al-Ghamdi ◽  
Nuru Adgaba ◽  
Hussien Migdadi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Mating Frequency ◽  
Apis Mellifera Jemenitica

scholarly journals New Viruses from the Ectoparasite Mite Varroa destructor Infesting Apis mellifera and Apis cerana

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Levin ◽  
Noa Sela ◽  
Tal Erez ◽  
David Nestel ◽  
Jeffery Pettis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Varroa Destructor ◽  
Rna Virus ◽  
Apis Cerana ◽  
Virus Genome ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Honeybee Subspecies ◽  
Colony Survival

Varroa destructor is an ectoparasitic mite of Asian or Eastern honeybees Apis cerana (A. cerana) which has become a serious threat to European subspecies of Western honeybees Apis mellifera (A. mellifera) within the last century. V. destructor and its vectored honeybee viruses became serious threats for colony survival. This is a short period for pathogen- and host-populations to adapt. To look for possible variation in the composition of viral populations we performed RNA metagenomic analysis of the Western honeybee subspecies A. m. ligustica, A. m. syriaca, A. m. intermissa, and A. cerana and their respective V. destructor mites. The analysis revealed two novel viruses: Varroa orthomyxovirus-1 (VOV-1) in A. mellifera and V. destructor and a Hubei like-virga virus-14 homolog in V. destructor. VOV-1 was more prevalent in V. destructor than in A. mellifera and we found evidence for viral replication in both hosts. Interestingly, we found differences in viral loads of A. cerana and their V. destructor, A. m. intermissa, and its V. destructor showed partial similarity, while A. m. ligustica and A. m. syriaca and their varroa where very similar. Deformed wing virus exhibited 82.20%, 99.20%, 97.90%, and 0.76% of total viral reads in A. m. ligustica, A. m. syriaca, A. m. intermissa, and A. cerana, respectively. This is the first report of a complete segmented-single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus genome in honeybees and V. destructor mites.

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