Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Biocenter, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
Faculty for Agricultural Science and Food, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Skopje, 1000, Republic of Macedonia.
BMC Ecol Evol. 2024 Oct 28;24(1):131. doi: 10.1186/s12862-024-02325-z.
The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) subspecies exhibit local adaptive traits that evolved in response to the different environments that characterize their native distribution ranges. An important trait is the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile, which helps to prevent desiccation and mediate communication. We compared the CHC profiles of six European subspecies (A. m. mellifera, A. m. carnica, A. m. ligustica, A. m. macedonica, A. m. iberiensis, and A. m. ruttneri) and investigated potential factors shaping their composition. We did not find evidence of adaptation of the CHC profiles of the subspecies to the climatic conditions in their distribution range. Subspecies-specific differences in CHC composition might be explained by phylogenetic constraints or genetic drift. The CHC profiles of foragers were more subspecies-specific than those of nurse bees, while the latter showed more variation in their CHC profiles, likely due to the lower desiccation stress exerted by the controlled environment inside the hive. The strongest profile differences appeared between nurse bees and foragers among all subspecies, suggesting an adaptation to social task and a role in communication. Foragers also showed an increase in the relative amount of alkanes in their profiles compared to nurses, indicating adaptation to climatic conditions.
西方蜜蜂（Apis mellifera）亚种表现出局部适应性特征，这些特征是为了适应其原生分布范围的不同环境而进化的。一个重要的特征是表皮碳氢化合物（CHC）谱，它有助于防止脱水和介导交流。我们比较了六个欧洲亚种（A. m. mellifera、A. m. carnica、A. m. ligustica、A. m. macedonica、A. m. iberiensis 和 A. m. ruttneri）的 CHC 谱，并研究了影响其组成的潜在因素。我们没有发现亚种 CHC 谱适应其分布范围内气候条件的证据。CHC 组成的亚种特异性差异可能是由系统发育限制或遗传漂变解释的。觅食蜂的 CHC 谱比看护蜂的更具亚种特异性，而后者的 CHC 谱变化更大，可能是由于蜂箱内受控环境对其脱水的压力较低。所有亚种中，看护蜂和觅食蜂之间的 CHC 谱差异最大，表明它们适应了社会任务，并在交流中发挥了作用。与看护蜂相比，觅食蜂的 CHC 谱中烷烃的相对含量也增加，表明它们适应了气候条件。
