Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de Camagüey Ignacio Agramonte Loynaz
Doi
Abstract
Context: The hybridization process (Africanization) of European bees with African bees is a problem for apiculture farmers in the Americas, due to high swarming levels and defensiveness. The latter hinders colony handling, and has caused accidents to people and animals, increasing the risks of beekeeping. In this sense, there is a need for genetic breeding of melliferous bees, and previous identification of subspecies.
Aim: To evaluate the origin of melliferous bees (Apis mellifera), and the process of Africanization and dispersion of Africanized bees throughout the Americas, as well as methods of identification.
Methods: The databases of Sciencedirect, Google-Scholar, Scopus, and NCBI were reviewed under the following key words, Apis mellifera, Apis, Africanized bees, geometric morphometrics, mitochondrial DNA. Special emphasis was paid to papers published within the last five years.
Results: The origin and distribution of melliferous bees, and the Africanization and dispersion processes of Africanized bees were described. Additionally, the evolution of methods for the characterization of Apis mellifera species were updated.
Conclusions: Africanization can be considered the most important process in the transformation of conduct and morphological features of melliferous bees, which allowed for their rapid dispersion in the Americas. The identification methods based on parents are essential to know possible process of genetic erosion, and to present strategies for bee conservation and breeding in every region
