Identifying Apis mellifera strains in Akkar district (North Lebanon) using mitochondrial DNA, a step in preserving the local strain A. m. syriaca

Abstract

The honey bee is a social insect that had driven the human interest much more than any other organism. Beekeeping practices dated the appearance of Man on earth and now it provides a hobby or a secondary work that contributes to the family revenue and requires a little time engagement and money investment. Honey production is not the only contribution of honey bees to the economy, since honey bees play an important role in the pollination. However, accelerated decline of bees colonies raises the alert to preserve and protect local bee strains against uncontrolled introduction of foreign strains and invasive parasitic species. A. m. syriaca belonging to the lineage Z, is the native honey bee subspecies in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. A. m. syriaca is known for its high defensiveness, even though it has many important advantages. However, commercial breeder strains, such as the Italian (A. m. ligustica), and Carniolan (A. m. carnica) strains, have been introduced by beekeepers and regularly used for honey production. This raises worries about the disappearance of the local subspecies. This study aims to reveal the existing sub-species of honey bee in Akkar – Lebanon and to assess the influence of introgression on the hybridization of the local strain. We collected 102 samples of honey bees from 33 different apiaries in 24 locations of Akkar district, in addition to two control samples, in order to perform mtDNA analysis. We determined the restriction fragments length of the intergenic region COI-COII, using the restriction enzyme DraI. The results showed both the C and the Z lineages. Four restriction patterns were identified among the restriction maps of the studied samples, two in the C lineage and two in the Z. One of the C restriction patterns was believed to be a novel one and need to be confirmed by sequencing. The most abundant mitochondrial lineage was the Z lineage constituting about 60% of the identified samples. Samples showing the C lineage haplotypes prevailed in El-Joumeh region reaching 62% of the samples, followed by AlKaiteh with 48.1%. Al-Dreib region reported the lowest introgression with foreign mt DNA of 21%. This study will help to identify areas of pure A.m. syriaca population over this district as a step to protect the local strain and to be considered in choosing syriaca reserves.