Apis mellifera cypria

Apis mellifera cypria is a meditteranean bee sub-species of the European honey bee species. Known commonly as the Cyprus honey bee, otherwise as A.m.cypria Pollmann 1879 [1]

Contents

Behaviour

This bee tends not to swarm. [2][3][4]

In a 2008 study, the growth rate of colonies was observed to be at the least during the hottest month, while the most growth occured during a month with temperature closer to the yearly average (or slightly above). [5] [6]

Food web

Papachristoforou et al found that in the presence of a predatory hornet the bees initially generate an acoustic response, [7] further reacting to eliminate the insect by asphyxiation.[8]

Taxonomy

A genetically separate group from the Greek bee sub-species,macedonica and cecropia (Bouga et al 2005), [9] is (mtD.N.A) related to A.m.Anatoliaca and meda. (Kandemir et al 2005). [10]

By morphometric analysis [11] the sub-species is determined as belonging to the Oriental branch of the Apis genus.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b I. Kandemir, M.D.Meixner, A.Ozkan, S.W.Sheppard (references ten studies) [(apimondia.com website) MORPHOMETRIC, ALLOZYMIC AND MTDNA VARIATION IN HONETBEE (APIS MELLIFERA CYPRIA POLLMANN 1879) IN NORTHERN CYPRUS]. Standing Commission of Bee Biology APIMONDIA JOURNAL. (apimondia.com website). Retrieved 2011-12-20. 
  2. ^ americasbeekeeper.org website[Retrieved 2011-12-21]
  3. ^ (docs.google.com) wimbledonbeekeepers.co.uk[Retrieved 2011-12-21]
  4. ^ encyclo.co.uk website[Retrieved 2011-12-21]
  5. ^ cyprusisland.com website [Retrieved 2011-12-21]
  6. ^ Παπαχριστοφόρου, Αλέξανδρος (2008)phdtheses.ekt.gr website defensive behaviour of the cyprian honeybee apis melifera cypria against the oriental hornet vespa orientalis [Retrieved 2011-12-21]
  7. ^ Papachristoforou A, Sueur J, Rortais A, Angelopoulos S, Thrasyvoulou A, Arnold G (sueur.jerome.perso.neuf.fr) High frequency sounds produced by Cyprian honeybees Apis mellifera cypria when confronting their predator, the Oriental hornet Vespa orientalis. Apidologie, 39: 468-474 [Retrieved 2011-12-21]
  8. ^ Alexandros Papachristoforou, Agnès Rortais, Georgia Zafeiridou, George Theophilidis, Lionel Garnery, Andreas Thrasyvoulou and Gérard Arnold,(2007) (cell.com website) Current Biology, Volume 17, Issue 18, R795-R796, 18 September 2007 Copyright 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2007.07.033 [ from (sciencemag.org) ]
  9. ^ Bouga M, Kilias G, Harizanis PC, Papasotiropoulos V, Alahiotis S.(ncbi.nlm.nih.gov website)Source Department of Biology, Division of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Patras, Rio, 265 00, Patras, Greece. mbouga@aua.gr PMID: 16341763 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Biochem Genet. 2005 Oct;43(9-10):471-83. [ see also: National Center for Biotechnology Information ]
  10. ^ Irfan Kandemir, Marina D. Meixner, Ayca Ozkan and Walter S. Sheppard (EDP Sciences @ www.edpsciences.org) Apidologie Volume 37, Number 5, September-October 2006 http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/apido:2006029 [Retrieved2011-12-20] ( Corresponding author: ikandemir@gmail.com )
  11. ^ School of Informatics within the City University (London) plus The School of Life sciences at the University of Sussex Centre for Advanced Microscopy [Retrieved 2011-12-21]