Molecular phylogenetics of honey bee subspecies (Apis mellifera L.) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence.

A mitochondrial DNA region encompassing part of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 and isoleucine transfer RNA genes was PCR amplified, cloned, and sequenced for 14 morphometrically identified Apis mellifera subspecies and the New World "Africanized" honeybee. Twenty different haplotypes were detected and phylogenetic analyses supported the existence of 3 or 4 major subspecies groups similar to those based on morphometric measurements. However, some discrepancies are reported concerning the subspecies composition of each group. Based on the sequence divergence of Drosophila (2% per Myr) we found that the four lineages may have diverged around 0.67 Myr. The variability found in this region enables us to infer phylogenetic relationships and test hypotheses concerning subspecies origin, dispersion, and biogeography.