Abstract:

For the development of apiculture of China, it need to be defined the approved subspecies and geographic populations of Apis cerana F., and present the scientific data to determine the local fine breed of bees. The subspecies were studied with the morphological measurement and molecular data of Apis cerana F.. The results showed that thirteen putative subspecies names (trinomials names) of Apis cerana F. have been established in China since 1944, the trinomials (subspecies) of Apis cerana F., which published since 1970, were not valid under modern ICZN rules, 4th edition, 1999 and according to nomenclatural standing in Apis classification. The morphometric analysis of Apis cerana F. in China showed that the “Chinese Eastern race” belonging to “Apis cerana cerana” and the “South Yunnan race” being “Apis cerana indica”, the “South Yunnan race” and the “Aba race” (Aba cerana) can be discriminated. However, this analysis failed to discriminate among “South Yunnan race” (Apis cerana indica), “Hainan race” (Hainan cerana) and “Tibet race” (Tibet cerana). Molecular analyses revealed that the mitochondrial genotypes of Apis cerana F. were the same as that of all sample originated from India, Japan and Korea without variation and belonging to “Mainland Asia” group of Apis cerana. It was approved that there were abundance for mitochondrial genotypes of Apis cerana F. in Southern Gansu and Northern Aba area. It could be said certainly that in China the members of “Aba race” (Aba cerana) was existence.