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Lecture 3: Biogeography of
Honey Bees
University of Florida
Department of Entomology & Nematology
Dr. Jamie Ellis
Created by: Pablo Herrera, Catherine Nalen, Jamie Ellis
What is Biogeography?
1. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of
species. This is considered spatially
(geographically where the species is) and
temporally (when did the species arrive where it
is).
2. Biogeography relies on integral knowledge of
biological systems combining geographical
distribution data, ecology, genetics, fossil records,
phylogeny, and many others.
3. Geology, climatology and paleontology are
integrated into this field to help us understand the
evolutionary history of organisms.
Population Distributions
This map represents the
global distribution of
Magnolias.
When an organism is
distributed in two isolated
locations, this is called
disjunct distribution.
Magnolia distribution was
not always disjunct.
- We know this from
fossil records.
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So how did organisms get
to different continents?
Permian 225 mya
Triassic 200 mya
265 mya – there was one
large ‘supercontinent’
called Pangea
200 mya – Pangea splits
into Laurasia and
Gondwanaland
Jurassic 135 mya
Cretaceous 65 mya
Presently, we have 7
distinct continents
Indian sub-continent
Present Day
What is a Species?
1. There is no easy answer to this question!!!!!!
2. Best working definition for our purposes: a group
of organisms that can interbreed and produce
VIABLE (or fertile) offspring.
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Speciation
1. Populations descended from a common ancestor
will take different evolutionary paths because they
are subjected to different environmental pressures
2. These populations will accumulate differences
over time because of isolation
3. They can be isolated by either distance or
biogeographic barriers
1. A region or area through which an organism cannot
pass
2. The Himalayas, the Darien Swamps in Panama,
oceanic currents between islands, and the Sahara
desert are some examples of major biogeographic
barriers
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- The honey bee species as a group
(Genus Apis) is one of the most
widely studied groups in the world.
- Fossil records suggest the origin of
the genus Apis most likely occurred
in South East Asia.
Bee fossil found in
northern Burma,
>100 myo
Origins of Honey Bees
Mader et al. 2010
Honey bees as a
group are thought
to have diverged
from sphecoid
wasps around 100
million years ago,
with the rise of the
angiosperms
(flowering plants).
Honey Bee Taxonomy
1. Honey bees (Tribe Apini) are most closely related to
the Meliponini (Stingless bees), Bombini (Bumble
bees) and Euglossini (Orchid bees).
2. There is no clear answer on their exact relationship,
conflicting results have been found with different forms
of analysis.
3. Most authors say that the closest relatives of honey
bees are stingless bees, but recent DNA analyses
indicates that they may be more closely related to
orchid bees.
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Honey Bee Taxonomy
Until recently, all known honey
bee fossils came from Europe,
Asia and Africa
Many of the oldest known fossils
are European, from the OligoceneEocene boundary
This does not mean that they are
of European Origin
Science News, August 15th, 2009; Vol.176 #4
The recent discovery of a fossil
honey bee, Apis nearctica, in the
United States has brought the
evolutionary history of Honey
Bees into question
Characteristics of Apini
1. The Apini are a group of highly derived bees which
present corbicula (pollen baskets)
2. They are Eusocial
3. They produce honey
4. Native to Eurasia and Africa
5. There is debate on the number of honey bee species in
the world. The estimate is between 7-11, divided into 3
subgenera.
The Recognized Honey Bee Species
Engel et al.. 2009
Subgenus: Micrapis
Subgenus: Megapis
Subgenus: Apis
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Global Distribution of the Apis Species
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Apis mellifera
Apis nigrocincta
Apis koschevnikovi
Apis andreniformis
Apis dorsata
Apis cerana
Apis florea
Subgenus Micrapis
Commonly known as the dwarf honey
bees
They are present in Southern and
Southeast Asia
Two species exist: Apis florea and A.
andreniformis
A. florea and A. andreniformis are
sympatric, but seem to have evolved
allopatrically
Micrapis are the most plesiomorphic
(showing the greatest amount of
primitive traits) of the honey bees
Apis florea
Dwarf honey bees
Native to S. & S.E. Asia
Exposed, single combs
Most primitive of the honey
bees
Zac Huang
Kept in rural Asia for honey
production
Video of Apis florea:
http://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=11uQ_9Da2K4
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Apis andreniformis
Identified in Thailand,
Malaysia and the
Southern Chinese
peninsula
Small in size like A.
florea
Zac Huang
Zac Huang
Nests on a single comb
Behavior and life history
similar to A. florea
Subgenus Megapis
•The Megapis are commonly known as
the giant honey bees
•Some authors consider these to be
subspecies, while others consider them
separate species.
-Apis dorsata dorsata occurs
primarily in India.
-Apis dorsata laboriosa is the
largest species. It nests in cliffs
throughout the Himalayas. (Apis
laboriosa)
-Apis dorsata binghami occurs
primarily in Indonesia and
Malaysia
-Apis dorsata brevigulia is found in
the Philippines
Apis dorsata
Exposed, single combs
-Nests can be over a meter wide!
-Extremely defensive
Pseudo-Migratory
-Nests in jungles during rainy
season
-Move to edge habitat at the
beginning of summer
-Honey hunters know their
‘migration routes’
Concern in Asia over population
depletion by bee hunters
Apis dorsata video – a must see!
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Subgenus: Apis
The subgenus Apis consists of the cavity nesting
bees, with 4 commonly recognized species:
Apis koshevnikovi – commonly known as the
reddish Koshevnikov bee, which is found in
Borneo
Apis cerana – the “Asian” honey bee, has two
subspecies, is found in Eastern and
Southern Asia & is kept similarly to A.
mellifera
Zac Huang
Apis nigrocincta – similar to Apis cerana but
inhabits the Philippines and Indonesian
islands
Apis mellifera – the Western honey bee is
widely distributed throughout the Old
World and is the only honey bee with a
natural distribution outside of Asia
Apis cerana
Oriental Honey Bee
Found throughout Asia
Zac Huang
Build multiple layers of comb in
protected locations
-Caves, hollow trees, rock cavities
Have been kept in man-made hives
for thousands of years
Excellent honey producers
Main species managed in Asia
Natural host of varroa mites
Apis koschevnikovi
Only identified from Malaysia
Commonly called ‘Red bees’
Builds multiple parallel combs
J. Woyke 1995
Behavior and life history similar
to A. cerana
Not usually managed
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Apis nigrocinta
Inhabits Philippine island of
Mindanao and some Indonesian
islands
Very similar to A. cerana (only
minor differences are noticable)
Builds nests in cavities
Apis mellifera
Previously considered to originate
in Asia, but recent fossil evidence
may modify this theory
- A. mellifera probably
originated in Africa.
Its ability to thermoregulate has
allowed it to survive in hot and
cold places where other honey
bees have failed
It has been transported by humans
around the globe
Origins of Apis mellifera Subspecies
Apis mellifera
populations moved out
of Africa and into
Eurasia at least three
times, resulting in
populations that are
close geographically
but not genetically
The various subspecies
resulted from these
geological emigrations
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Apis mellifera
These subspecies have come from several geographic regions, and are
categorized by regions of origin
Near East Subspecies Tropical African Subspecies
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Apis mellifera anatolica
Apis mellifera adami
Apis mellifera cypria
Apis mellifera syriaca
Apis mellifera medea
Apis mellifera caucasica
Apis mellifera armenica
Apis mellifera taurica
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Apis mellifera lamarckii
Apis mellifera yemenitica
Apis mellifera litorea
Apis mellifera scutellata
Apis mellifera adansonii
Apis mellifera monticola
Apis mellifera capensis
Apis mellifera unicolor
Apis mellifera
These subspecies have come from several geographic regions,
and are categorized by regions of origin
Western Mediterranean Southeastern European
Subspecies
Subspecies
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Apis mellifera saharensis
Apis mellifera intermissa
Apis mellifera iberica
Apis mellifera mellifera
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Apis mellifera sicula
Apis mellifera ligustica
Apis mellifera cecropia
Apis mellifera macedonica
Apis mellifera carnica
Important Apis mellifera races in the U.S.
Apis mellifera ligustica:
- This is a light colored, golden
bee, known commonly as the
Italian Honey Bee.
- It is valued as a laborious and
mild tempered bee.
- It produces a surplus of
honey.
- The main drawback to it is
that it may require much
feeding during the winter
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Important Apis mellifera races in the U.S.
Apis mellifera caucasica:
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A subspecies from the
Caucasus mountains
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Often used by beekeepers
who consider it both mild
tempered and industrious
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It is a darker bee
(somewhat gray)
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Uses considerable propolis
Important Apis mellifera races in the U.S.
Apis mellifera carnica:
- It is often called the Carniolan
Honey Bee, due to its presence in
the Carniolan region of Slovenia.
- It is a bee subspecies of the
Alps and does very well in cold
climates.
- It is considered to be one of the
least aggressive subspecies of
Honey Bees.
- Possibly original source of the
“Russian” honey bee
Additional Reading:
1.
Arias, M. and W. Sheppard. 2005. Phylogenetic relationships of
honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apini) inferred from nuclear
and mitochondrial DNA sequence data. Molecular Phylogenetics
and Evolution. 37: 25-35.
2.
Engel M. , Hinojosa-Díaz I. and A. Rasnitsyn. 2009. A honey bee
from the Miocene of Nevada and the biogeography of Apis.
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 60: 23-38.
3.
Michener, C. 1979. Biogeography of the bees. Annals of the
Missouri Botanical Garden. 66: 277-347.
4.
Michener, C.D. 2000. The Bees of the World. John Hopkins
University Press, Baltimore, MD. 913 pp.
5.
Ruttner, F. 1988. Taxonomy and Biogeography of Honey Bees.
Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 284 pp.
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