Investigation of polyandry in honey bees (Apis mellifera) using microsatellites

Abstract

Polyandry is a specific phenomenon increasing genetic diversity. To analyze the level of polyandry and to assess the contribution of drones to the genetic diversity of honey bee colonies, three microsatellite loci (A008, Ap049, and AC117) were studied in honey bees from colonies of different origin (Middle Russian race, Carpathian race, and hybrids) in Tomsk Province. The share of the introduced paternal alleles varied between colonies from 6.67 to 28.00%. The highest genetic diversity was observed in hybrid colonies (25–28% of introduced paternal alleles).