The honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) is the most widespread representative of the genus Apis…

The honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) is the most widespread representative of the genus Apis found in Russia. Using a multi-component analysis of morphometric traits, it is divided into four evolutionary branches [7]: A (Southern and Central Africa), M (North Africa and Western Europe), C (Northern Mediterranean, Central and Eastern Europe), and O (Mediterranean, Middle and Near East), which include 26 subspecies (Ruttner, 1992; Sheppardetal., 1997; Sheppard, Meixner, 2003; Meixneretal., 2011), and according to some data, 28 subspecies (breeds) (Engel, 1999). Some of them, such as A. m. mellifera, are further divided into differentiated local populations based on morphometric analysis results (Cornuetetal., 1975, 1978). Russian and Ukrainian scientists distinguish the Carpathian bee (A. m. carpatica) as a separate subspecies, although foreign researchers consider it a branch of the Carnolian bee (A. m. carnica)[3].