List of honeybee races
Encyclopedia
Honey bee race is a classifications of honey bees, in particular European dark bee
s (Apis mellifera mellifera) into various named instances of an informal taxonomic rank
of race
, below that of subspecies
, on the basis of shared genetic traits. Pure representatives of any race are becoming ever rarer because humans have imported favored subspecies to regions that previously had distinctive type(s) of their own, and the imported bees have interbred with the native bees. The best chance to find representatives of any subspecies is in the center or the most protected part of the subspecies' native area. In the Americas, there has been a great deal of mixing of subspecies (and European dark bee "races") of the European honey bee
(A. mellifera) more generally, since all American honey bees have been imported at some point after 1492. Lacking systematic and widespread DNA analyses it is difficult to estimate which subspecies predominate there, and it is probably more realistic to treat most feral
populations as belonging to undefined hybrid lineages. Among beekeepers
, the term "race" has been used increasingly imprecisely, and is often used to refer to bee subspecies
and hybrids as well as sub-subspecific divisions more properly.
There are also certain lineages of honey bees whose rank is below that of subspecies (particularly within the nominate subspecies, A. m. mellifera
), being little more than color variants or domesticated lineages (strains) that may not be correlated with distinct native distributions; these are "races" in the most restrictive sense, and are often referred to as "breed
s". These were often given their own scientific names when originally described, but modern zoological nomenclature does not recognize the names given to these forms as valid (only ranks of subspecies and above have formal scientific names in zoology).
Based on morphological similarities and the separation of regions during and since the last ice age, there are five bee lineages
Lineages of known hybrid origin, such as Africanized bee
s and Buckfast bee
s, also do not have formal names.
Within the lineage 'M' there are three races
Differences in the colors of bees may be more pronounced in queens and drones; workers are much less easily differentiated by color. Drones are produced from the unfertilized eggs of queens and therefore their genetic characteristics depend entirely on those of the queen, whereas worker bees are produced from fertilized eggs, which means that each worker bee will share genetic characteristics. To make things even more complicated, a queen will normally mate several times before settling down to a life of egg laying, and the spermatozoa from her multiple matings are retained alive within her body. That means that workers may only be half-sisters, and their colors and other characteristics may differ.
The insects we call honey bees are divided into several species. In Europe, the Americas and Australia the term "honey bee" means a bee of the species A. mellifera. They all spring from bees that originated in Europe and Africa. In other parts of the world there are several other recognized honey bee species, most notably A. cerana
, A. dorsata
, and A. florea
. The first two of these species have subspecies.
European dark bee
The European dark bee was domesticated in modern times, and taken to North America in colonial times. These small, dark-colored honey bees are sometimes called the German black bee, although they occurred originally from Britain to eastern Central Europe.There are three main races,...
s (Apis mellifera mellifera) into various named instances of an informal taxonomic rank
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
of race
Race (biology)
In biology, races are distinct genetically divergent populations within the same species with relatively small morphological and genetic differences. The populations can be described as ecological races if they arise from adaptation to different local habitats or geographic races when they are...
, below that of subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, on the basis of shared genetic traits. Pure representatives of any race are becoming ever rarer because humans have imported favored subspecies to regions that previously had distinctive type(s) of their own, and the imported bees have interbred with the native bees. The best chance to find representatives of any subspecies is in the center or the most protected part of the subspecies' native area. In the Americas, there has been a great deal of mixing of subspecies (and European dark bee "races") of the European honey bee
European honey bee
The Western honey bee or European honey bee is a species of honey bee. The genus Apis is Latin for "bee", and mellifera comes from Latin melli- "honey" and ferre "to bear"—hence the scientific name means "honey-bearing bee"...
(A. mellifera) more generally, since all American honey bees have been imported at some point after 1492. Lacking systematic and widespread DNA analyses it is difficult to estimate which subspecies predominate there, and it is probably more realistic to treat most feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...
populations as belonging to undefined hybrid lineages. Among beekeepers
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
, the term "race" has been used increasingly imprecisely, and is often used to refer to bee subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
and hybrids as well as sub-subspecific divisions more properly.
There are also certain lineages of honey bees whose rank is below that of subspecies (particularly within the nominate subspecies, A. m. mellifera
European dark bee
The European dark bee was domesticated in modern times, and taken to North America in colonial times. These small, dark-colored honey bees are sometimes called the German black bee, although they occurred originally from Britain to eastern Central Europe.There are three main races,...
), being little more than color variants or domesticated lineages (strains) that may not be correlated with distinct native distributions; these are "races" in the most restrictive sense, and are often referred to as "breed
Breed
A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals or plants of the same species. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry, there is no scientifically accepted...
s". These were often given their own scientific names when originally described, but modern zoological nomenclature does not recognize the names given to these forms as valid (only ranks of subspecies and above have formal scientific names in zoology).
Based on morphological similarities and the separation of regions during and since the last ice age, there are five bee lineages
- A (African)
- C (“carnica”, subspecies east and south of the Alps including those along the northern Mediterranean)
- M (“mellifera”, subspecies of western Europe),
- O (Oriental, subspecies from the eastern end of the range of the species)
- Y (Yemenitica from Ethiopia)
Lineages of known hybrid origin, such as Africanized bee
Africanized bee
Africanized honey bees, known colloquially as "killer bees", are a hybrid variety of the European honeybee , generated by a man-made breeding of the African honey bee, A. m. scutellata, with various European honey bees such as the Italian bee A. m. ligustica and A. m. iberiensis. These bees are far...
s and Buckfast bee
Buckfast bee
The Buckfast bee is a honey bee a cross of many species of bees into a stable race developed by "Brother Adam", , who was in charge of beekeeping at Buckfast Abbey, where the bees are still bred today.-Origin:...
s, also do not have formal names.
Within the lineage 'M' there are three races
- Mellifera (brown bee)
- Lehzeni (heathland bee)
- Nigra (black bee)
Differences in the colors of bees may be more pronounced in queens and drones; workers are much less easily differentiated by color. Drones are produced from the unfertilized eggs of queens and therefore their genetic characteristics depend entirely on those of the queen, whereas worker bees are produced from fertilized eggs, which means that each worker bee will share genetic characteristics. To make things even more complicated, a queen will normally mate several times before settling down to a life of egg laying, and the spermatozoa from her multiple matings are retained alive within her body. That means that workers may only be half-sisters, and their colors and other characteristics may differ.
The insects we call honey bees are divided into several species. In Europe, the Americas and Australia the term "honey bee" means a bee of the species A. mellifera. They all spring from bees that originated in Europe and Africa. In other parts of the world there are several other recognized honey bee species, most notably A. cerana
Apis cerana
Apis cerana, or the Asiatic honey bee , is a species of honey bee found in southern and southeastern Asia, such as China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh and Papua New Guinea. This species is the sister species of Apis koschevnikovi, and both are in the same subgenus as the Western honey...
, A. dorsata
Apis dorsata
Apis dorsata, the giant honey bee, is a honey bee of southern and southeastern Asia mainly in forested areas like the Terai of Nepal...
, and A. florea
Apis florea
The dwarf honey bee or the red dwarf honey bee, Apis florea, is one of two species of small, wild honey bees of southern and southeastern Asia. It has a much wider distribution than its sister species, Apis andreniformis....
. The first two of these species have subspecies.