Discrimination of Apis mellifera carnica Poll from the other races of Apis mellifera L

A study of the best discriminating characters for the differentiation between A m carnica and the other races of A m mellifera L was carried out to protect the home-bred race against the influence of imported honeybees in Germany. The investigation comprised 36 characters of the external morphology of worker bees. The best discriminating characters were extracted by stepwise discriminant analysis comparing A m carnica with 24 different races each. The study showed (table I) that 9 of the races need only the determination of a single character to differentiate between them and A m carnica, another 8 races need 2 or 3 characters for 100% correct classification, 3 races could only be classified to 95% certainty with 3 variables and 2 races, Am cecropia and A m macedonica could only be classified with 90% and 85% certainty respectively. Only 19 out of the 36 measured characters were really needed (table II). The best discriminating characters were 80% characters of the forewing (length and width of the wing, 9 angles of wing venation, distance b on cubital vein), 17% were pigmentation differences and only 3% other morphometric characters. For the discrimination of African honeybee races from A m carnica the length of the forewing is important. In African races it is generally 0.9 cm. Hybrids between these races with A m carnica should therefore show a reduction in forewing size and a supplementary peak in the frequency distribution of the length of the wing. This phenomenon should be a useful indication in detecting influences of African races

Morphometrical control of pure race breeding in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L)

The comparative analysis of 112 honeybee samples from Brandenburg and seven samples of an A m carnica-breeding line from Hessen with the pure races A m mellifera and A m carnica revealed that the two German provenances are located in the proximity of the pure race A m carnica, but drift apart in the same direction. There are no signs of a still existing influence of A m mellifera-genes. The morphometrical control of pure race breeding turned out to be useful. The 'land bee' was at least in the studied places of Brandenburg and Hessen pushed away. For a total conformity with the pure race it would be necessary to control additional characteristics. The analysis of 6 samples of the time of Zander showed that this bee was really a hybrid between A m carnica and A m mellifera

Position of the Red Honey bee, Apis koschevnikovi (Buttel-Reepen 1906), within the Genus Apis

International audienc

Morphometric studies on the microtaxonomy of the species Apis mellifera L

A principal components analysis was performed on 252 samples of Apis mellifera collected from various geographic locations. The result is presented for the first time as a computer generated three-dimensional figure resembling a tripod, with each distinct branch and stem representing one of the four major regions: tropical Africa, western Mediterranean and northern Europe, central Mediterranean and southeastern Europe ending in A m carnica, and the Near East ending in A m caucasica

Distribution and variation of size of Apis florea F in Iran

Fifteen samples of Apis florea worker bees were collected from nests found in Iranian provinces near the Persian Gulf, up to more than 33° north and to 1 900 m altitude. This indicates a wider range of ecological adaptability than had previously been assumed. A south-north geocline exists in size characteristics over about the same range as for A mellifera. The vertical ecocline, although present, was only partial and rather irregular. No climate-related variation in hair length was found in the species. The data are discussed in view of the rudimentary thermoregulation and possible seasonal migration behavior in A florea

Modelling the dopamine and noradrenergic cell loss that occurs in Parkinson's disease and the impact on hippocampal neurogenesis

Key pathological features of Parkinson's Disease (PD) include the progressive degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons and hindbrain noradrenergic (NA) neurons. The loss of DA neurons has been extensively studied and is the main cause of motor dysfunction. Importantly, however, there are a range of 'non-movement' related features of PD including cognitive dysfunction, sleep disturbances and mood disorders. The origins for these non-motor symptoms are less clear, but a possible substrate for cognitive decline may be reduced adult-hippocampal neurogenesis, which is reported to be impaired in PD. The mechanisms underlying reduced neurogenesis in PD are not well established. Here we tested the hypothesis that NA and DA depletion, as occurs in PD, impairs hippocampal neurogenesis. We used 6-hydroxydopamine or the immunotoxin dopamine-β-hydroxylase-saporin to selectively lesion DA or NA neurons, respectively, in adult Sprague Dawley rats and assessed hippocampal neurogenesis through phenotyping of cells birth-dated using 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. The results showed no difference in proliferation or differentiation of newborn cells in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus after NA or DA lesions. This suggests that impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis in PD likely results from mechanisms independent of, or in addition to degeneration of DA and NA neurons

Quantifying honey bee mating range and isolation in semi-isolated valleys by DNA microsatellite paternity analysis

Honey bee males and queens mate in mid air and can fly many kilometres on their nuptial flights. The conservation of native honey bees, such as the European black bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), therefore, requires large isolated areas to prevent hybridisation with other subspecies, such as A. m. ligustica or A. m. carnica, which may have been introduced by beekeepers. This study used DNA microsatellite markers to determine the mating range of A. m. mellifera in two adjacent semi-isolated valleys (Edale and Hope Valley) in the Peak District National Park, England, in order to assess their suitability for native honey bee conservation and as isolated mating locations. Three apiaries were set up in each valley, each containing 12 colonies headed by a virgin queen and 2 queenright drone producing hives. The virgin queens were allowed to mate naturally with drones from the hives we had set up and with drones from hives owned by local beekeepers. After mating, samples of worker larvae were taken from the 41 queens that mated successfully and genotyped at 11 DNA microsatellite loci. Paternity analyses were then carried out to determine mating distances and isolation. An average of 10.2 fathers were detected among the 16 worker progeny. After correction for non-detection and non-sampling errors, the mean effective mating frequency of the test queens was estimated to be 17.2, which is a normal figure for honey bees. Ninety percent of the matings occurred within a distance of 7.5 km, and fifty percent within 2.5 km. The maximal mating distance recorded was 15 km. Queens and drones did occasionally mate across the borders between the two valleys, showing that the dividing mountain ridge Losehill does not provide complete isolation. Nevertheless, in the most isolated part of Edale sixty percent of all matings were to drones from Edale hives. The large majority of observed mating distances fell within the range of Hope Valley, making this site a suitable location for the long term conservation of a breeding population of black bees