Mohamed Achou

• Biodiversity Journal, 11 (1): 007-014

  Houda Bouzeraa, Hanen Sellami, Radhouane Gdoura, Mohamed Achou & Noureddine Soltani
  Genetic diversity of the Honeybee Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 (Hymenoptera Apidae) from Jijel (Northeast Algeria)
  https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2020.11.1.7.14

  ABSTRACT
  Traditionally, subspecific classification and phylogeographic inferences in Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 (Hymenoptera Apidae) were first classified according to their morphological and behavioral traits along with their geographical distributions. Morphometrical analyses conducted on large datasets have established different evolutionary lineages of honeybees. In the last two decades of honeybee genetic analysis and conservation, subsequent studies based on variations in mitochondrial DNA largely confirmed Ruttner’s phylogeographic structure of Apis mellifera. However, very little is known about Algerian honeybee diversity. Therefore, this study assessed the genetic diversity of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Northeastern Algerian, in North Africa, using the mitochondrial DNA marker (mtDNA) COI-COII (Cytochrome Oxidase I and II). In total, thirty honeybee workers were sampled from three sites of Jijel province. A PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) analysis of the mtDNA samples distinguished the honeybee evolutionary lineages from this region. Our study revealed that studied honeybee populations have A (African lineages) evolutionary group features. Notably, the northern Algerian honeybee populations had elevated diversity compared to the southern populations.

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