Mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity of honey bees, Apis mellifera, in Hawaii

Abstract

Honey bees, Apis mellifera, in the Hawaiian Islands are geographically isolated from honey bees in mainland United States. We conducted a study on the mitochondrial DNA genetic diversity of honey bees from seven of the Hawaiian Islands by sequencing the intergenic region between the Cytochrome Oxidase I and Cytochrome Oxidase II genes (COI-COII). We observed a total of 10 haplotypes from 235 samples collected from 2009 to 2014. Haplotypes belonged to the A. mellifera C lineage (64 %), M lineage (35 %), and O lineage (1 %). Four of the five C lineage haplotypes found were common among queen breeders in continental United States (C1, C2, C11, C19) and accounted for 99 % of the C lineage bees. Haplotype C33 (1 %) has been observed in feral honey bee populations in continental United States. For the M lineage, which includes the dark honey bee, A. m. mellifera, four haplotypes were observed (M3, M4c”’, M7 and M70), with a novel haplotype unique to Hawaii, M70, being the second most common. Five islands had M lineage haplotypes, with their frequency ranging from 70 % on Maui to 22 % on Molokai. Two individuals of the O lineage, haplotype O1, were found on Oahu. Among the islands, Oahu and Maui, had the greatest amount of haplotypic diversity (haplotypic diversity (Hd) = 0.76 and 0.75). Lanai and Kahoolawe had only one haplotype, C1, present.