Interannual and seasonal variation in Apis mellifera populations in two Humid Chaco apiaries assessed by wing geometric morphometrics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30972/vet.3719635Keywords:
population structure, honey bee, Africanisation, hybrids, A. m. scutellata, northern ArgentinaAbstract
The honey bee (Apis mellifera) exhibits a complex genetic structure in South America resulting from hybridization between European and African lineages. In northern Argentina, particularly in the Humid Chaco ecoregion, available studies suggest a predominance of African ancestry, although regional characterization and its temporal dynamics remain poorly documented. This study aimed to characterize the population composition of A. mellifera in productive apiaries in the Humid Chaco by identifying lineages and subspecies using wing geometric morphometrics, and to assess temporal variation and intra-apiary diversity, thereby providing regionally relevant information for beekeeping management and monitoring. The study was conducted at two apiaries located in Chaco Province (Apicultural Demonstration Unit, UDA) and Corrientes Province (Agricultural Family School, EFA). Eight seasonal samplings were conducted during 2024 and 2025, collecting adult worker bees from five colonies per apiary. The right forewing was removed, and 19 anatomical landmarks were digitized for morphometric analysis. In both apiaries, the shortest Mahalanobis distance consistently corresponded to A. m. scutellata, followed by A. m. intermissa and A. m. caucasica, indicating a predominance of the African morphotype throughout the study period. Slight seasonal fluctuations in Mahalanobis distances were observed, together with an interannual decrease in the distance to A. m. scutellata between 2024 and 2025, suggesting greater African affinity in the second year. These findings are consistent with the location of the study area within the so-called Africanised bee saturation zone and provide practical evidence insights into the temporal dynamics of hybridisation in an apicultural ecoregion of major productive importance in Argentina.
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