首页|Defining honeybee subspecies in an evolutionary context warrants strategized conservation

Defining honeybee subspecies in an evolutionary context warrants strategized conservation

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Despite the urgent need for conservation consideration,strategic action plans for the preservation of the Asian honeybee,Apis cerana Fabricius,1793,remain lacking.Both the convergent and divergent adaptations of this widespread insect have led to confusing phenotypical traits and inconsistent infraspecific taxonomy.Unclear subspecies boundaries pose a significant challenge to honeybee conservation efforts,as it is difficult to effectively prioritize conservation targets without a clear understanding of subspecies identities.Here,we investigated genome variations in 362 worker bees representing almost all populations of mainland A.cerana to understand how evolution has shaped its population structure.Whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)based on nuclear sequences revealed eight putative subspecies,with all seven peripheral subspecies exhibiting mutually exclusive monophyly and distinct genetic divergence from the widespread central subspecies.Our results demonstrated that most classic morphological traits,including body size,were related to the climatic variables of the local habitats and did not reflect the true evolutionary history of the organism.Thus,such morphological traits were not suitable for subspecific delineation.Conversely,wing vein characters showed relative independence to the environment and supported the subspecies boundaries inferred from nuclear genomes.Mitochondrial phylogeny further indicated that the present subspecies structure was a result of multiple waves of population divergence from a common ancestor.Based on our findings,we propose that criteria for subspecies delineation should be based on evolutionary independence,trait distinction,and geographic isolation.We formally defined and described eight subspecies of mainland A.cerana.Elucidation of the evolutionary history and subspecies boundaries enables a customized conservation strategy for both widespread and endemic honeybee conservation units,guiding colony introduction and breeding.

Apis ceranaIntegrative taxonomySpecies conceptPollinator insectCentrifugal diversificationMorphologyGenomics

Lifei Qiu、Jiangxing Dong、Xingan Li、Sajad H.Parey、Ken Tan、Michael Orr、Aquib Majeed、Xue Zhang、Shiqi Luo、Xuguo Zhou、Chaodong Zhu、Ting Ji、Qingsheng Niu、Shanlin Liu、Xin Zhou

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Department of Entomology,College of Plant Protection,China Agricultural University,Beijing 100193,China

Key Laboratory for Bee Genetics and Breeding,Jilin Provincial Institute of Apicultural Sciences,Jilin,Jilin 132108,China

Department of Zoology,School of Biosciences and Biotechnology,Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University,Rajouri(Jammu and Kashmir)185234,India

CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology,Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Xishuangbanna,Yunnan 650000,China

Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution,Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100101,China

Department of Entomology,University of Kentucky,Lexington,KY 40546,USA

Yangzhou University,Yangzhou,Jiangsu 225009,China

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National Natural Science Foundation(NSF)of ChinaProgram of Ministry of Science and Technology of ChinaNational Special Support Program for Highlevel Talents(Ten-Thousand Talents Program)2115 Talent Development Program of China Agricultural UniversityFunds for International Cooperation and Exchange of the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNSF of ChinaJilin Science and Technology ProgramNational Mission on Himalayan Studies(NMHS)-Almora,Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change,Government of India

322704752018FY10040332110010433147012320030561GBPNI/NMHS-2017-18/MG-12

2023

10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.414

动物学研究
中国科学院昆明动物研究所 中国动物学会

动物学研究

CSTPCDCSCD
影响因子：0.582
ISSN：0254-5853
年,卷(期)：2023.44(3)
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