Honeybees of the Western Mediterranean

Abstract

The great variety of mellifera subspecies found around the Mediterranean fully justifies consideration of this basin as the main gene center of the species. Out of 24 subspecies described in this overview, 13 are based in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean. The races of the cold temperate zone originated and are still existing there and even a tropical race (A.m.lamarckii) was able to advance this far. The mild, humid climate and the rich flora of the region evidently favor the needs of honeybees (as well as the abundance of other Apoidea). The Mediterranean flora is well known for its uniformity. In contrast, the rich resources, minor varieties in climate and a fluctuating history during the quarternary (with very cool periods) promoted an ample radiation within A. mellifera (Chap. 3). Although most subspecies of the region are of medium size (Fig. 4.2), almost the whole range of size variation is found between lamarckii and syriaca on one end and mellifera and carnica on the other (Fig. 10.5). In a DA covering 9 Mediterranean races the variation extends from mellifera to cecropia on one axis and between adami and intermissa on the other (Fig. 13.1).