Temporal mitochondrial DNA variation in honeybee populations from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) Mª Jesús Madrid-Jiménez, Irene Muñoz, Pilar De la Rúa Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia (Spain)
Scheme Evolutionary lineages in Apis mellifera Distribution of the evolutionary lineages The black Canarian honeybee: need for protection? Conservation program on La Palma, Situation on Tenerife Objectives Sampling in 2008 Mitochondrial DNA characterization: Haplotype distribution Comparison with data from 1998 Conclusions
Evolutionary lineages in Apis mellifera A. melliferais native from Africa, Europe and Asia Biodiversityreflected in the morphology, behavior and geographic distribution of the subspecies A. melliferaoriginated en Africa and suffered at least two expansions: To west Europe lineage M To east Europe and Near East lineages C and O From Whitfield et al. 2006
Distribution of the evolutionary lineages 29 subspecies are grouped in evolutionary lineages: Ethiopian (Y) Near East (O) East Europe (C) A III M A II C O West Europe (M) African (A): A I : African subspecies A Y A II : North Africa A I A III : Atlantic distribution From De la Rúa et al. 2005
The black Canarian honeybee: need for protection? Black Canarian honeybees are adapted to the particular Canarian environment (subtropical) and floral biota (around 525 endemic plants) Highly productive 15-20 kgr/colony Gentle and hygienic behavior Particular mitochondrial haplotypes: A11, A14 and A15
The black Canarian honeybee: conservation program on La Palma Interest of the beekeepers to protect and maintain the black Canarian honeybee Free of Varroa until 2005 In 2000 around 15% of the colonies were supposedly hybrids aggressive behavior The conservation strategy includes an area of special protection in the northeast part of the island Current law (from 2001) protects local populations prohibiting honeybee importations to La Palma
The black Canarian honeybee: Situation on Tenerife Introduction of foreign subspecies: A. m. ligustica, A. m. carnicaand the hybrid Buckfast (C evolutionary lineage) In 1998 34% of the colonies belonged to the C lineage
The black Canarian honeybee: Situation on Tenerife in 1998 From De la Rúa et al. 2002
Objectives 1. To determine the present level of introduction of foreign Apis subspecies on Tenerife 2. To evaluate it in comparison with previous data from 1998
Sampling on Tenerife in 2008
Mitochondrial DNA characterization Molecular marker at the colony level: all the workers and drones share the same molecule inherited from the mother queen.
Mitochondrial DNA characterization This molecule accumulates mutations through the time originating variations: Antique: allow distinguishing evolutionary lineages: M, A, Y, C and O. Recent: allow distinguishing variants or haplotypes within each lineage A. mellifera mtdna Crozier and Crozier (1993)
Haplotype distribution in 2008 A1 A8 A11 A14 A15 C1
Comparison 1998-2008
Comparison 1998-2008
Comparison 1998-2008
Comparison 1998-2008 AMOVA Source of variation d. f. Sum of squares Variance components Percentage of variation Between surveys 1 1.038-0.09443 Va -3.55 Among localities in each 23 94.845 0.41703 Vb 15.69 survey Within localities 96 224.166 2.33507 Vc 87.86 Total 120 320.050 2.65767
Conclussions The African sub-lineage with Atlantic distribution A III has kept its high frequency but with a wider distribution: 1998: this sub-lineage was predominant at the east side of the island, 2008: it has been found in the 65% of the sampled localities spread around the island The haplotype C1 distinctive of subspecies of the European Eastern lineage has been found on Tenerife in both samplings but with different frequency: 1998: 32.4% being more frequent at the northeast of the island; 2008: 30.2% and its distribution has been modified finding it atthe north, center and southeast of the island.
Conclussions Human factors as the purchase of honeybee queens, and other natural ones (the Teide peak seems be a natural barrier to the dispersion of the swarms) still influence in the haplotype distribution on Tenerife (De larúa et al. 2002). There are two trends within the beekeepers of Tenerife: those who systematically import honeybees A. m. ligusticaor yellow honeybee, A. m. carnicaor carniolan honeybee, or the hybrid Buckfast honeybees, distributed at the north, center and southeast of the island others found to the west of the island that have special interest in keeping the local black honeybee and discard those queens with yellow color that appear in their apiaries