52

(-60%) of the patterns in the A. m. mellifera samples contained 1.25kb and

0.75kb fragments (the 1.25kb fragment was not detected in South African

drones), and lacked a fragment at approximately 1.0kb detected in the majority

of South African drones (Figures 4, 6, & 7). The A. m. mellifera Ddel patterns

lacking the 0.75kb fragment (- 25%) appeared to be composed of one or two

D200 variants. In a few (- 5%) workers the 1.25kb and 1.Okb fragments were

present, but the 0.75kb fragment was absent, indicative of D100 and D200

variants, which were not detected in South African drones. A combination of

D100, D200, and D300 variants was indicated in the workers (10%) in which

the 1.25kb, 1.0kb, and 0.75kb fragments were detected. No evidence was

found in the A. m. mellifera workers for Ddel patterns detected in South African

drones (Figures 4 & 11).


African bees.

 In South African drones, the Mspl variant group with the highest

frequency (81%) was the M500 group (Table 3). Variants M508 and M512

had the highest individual frequencies (25% and 11%, respectively). Eleven

other M500 variants were found at lower frequencies, each in one or two

drones. The M400 group frequency was 14%: variants M401, M402, and

M405, were each detected at a low frequency. The frequency for the M300

group was 6%: variants M303 and M304 were each detected in a single drone

from colonies in different locations in the Transvaal (Table 3).