Apis mellifera cypria

Apis mellifera cypria (Cyprus honey bee) is a subspecies of the Western honey bee. Its primary habitat is the Mediterranean.

Apis mellifera cypria
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Apis
Species:
A. mellifera
Subspecies:
A. m. cypria
Trinomial name
Apis mellifera cypria
Pollmann, 1879[1]

Behaviour

This bee tends not to swarm.[2]

In a 2008 study, the growth rate of colonies was observed to be lowest during the hottest month, while the most growth occurred during a month with temperature closer to the yearly average (or slightly above).[3][4]

Defense

Papachristoforou et al found that in the presence of the predatory oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis) the bees initially generate an acoustic response,[5] further reacting to eliminate the insect by asphyxiation.[6]

Taxonomy

A genetically separate group from the Greek bee sub-species, Macedonica and Cecropia,[7] is (mtD.N.A) related to A.m.Anatoliaca and meda. (Kandemir et al. 2005).[8]

Morphometric analysis shows that the sub-species belongs to the Oriental branch of the genus Apis.[1]

References
  1. Kandemir, İ.; Meixner, Marina D.; Ozkan, Ayca; Sheppard, S.W. "Morphometric, allozymic, and mtDNA variation in honeybee (Apis mellifera cypria, Pollman 1879) populations in northern Cyprus" (PDF). Apimondia. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.527.4503. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2011-12-20.
  2. "Honey bee sub-species". AmericasBeekeeper. Archived from the original on 20 August 2013. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  3. cyprusisland.com website [Retrieved 2011-12-21]
  4. Παπαχριστοφόρου, Α. (2008). Defensive behaviour of the Cyprian honeybee Apis mellifera cypria against the oriental hornet Vespa orientalis (Thesis). doi:10.12681/eadd/18918. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
  5. Papachristoforou, A.; Sueur, Jérôme; Rortais, A.; Angelopoulos, S.; Thrasyvoulou, A.; Arnold, G. (2008). "High frequency sounds produced by Cyprian honeybees Apis mellifera cypria when confronting their predator, the Oriental hornet Vespa orientalis" (PDF). Apidologie. 39 (4): 468. doi:10.1051/apido:2008027.
  6. Papachristoforou, A.; Rortais, A.; Zafeiridou, G.; Theophilidis, G.; Garnery, L.; Thrasyvoulou, A.; Arnold, G. (2007). "Smothered to death: Hornets asphyxiated by honeybees". Current Biology. 17 (18): R795–6. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.07.033. PMID 17878045.
  7. Bouga, M.; Kilias, G.; Harizanis, P. C.; Papasotiropoulos, V.; Alahiotis, S. (2005). "Allozyme Variability and Phylogenetic Relationships in Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Apis mellifera) Populations from Greece and Cyprus". Biochemical Genetics. 43 (9–10): 471–83. doi:10.1007/s10528-005-8163-2. PMID 16341763.
  8. Kandemir, I.; Meixner, M. D.; Ozkan, A.; Sheppard, W. S. (2006). "Genetic characterization of honey bee (Apis mellifera cypria) populations in northern Cyprus" (PDF). Apidologie. 37 (5): 547. doi:10.1051/apido:2006029.
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