58

and 17 (possibly lane 9 as well). In these colonies (Table 4, Costa Rica

'African') the Mspl variant group M500 was detected at the highest frequency,

54-58%. The M400 and M300 group frequencies were similar to each other

(Table 4).

 Venezuela. Variants from all five Mspl groups were detected in workers

collected in Venezuela (Figure 9, lanes 4-6, 8, 9, 12, 14-17, and possibly 1, 3,

and 11). As in the South African samples, the variant group detected at the

highest frequency was M500, followed by the M300 and M400 groups. M100

and M200 variants were detected at the lowest frequencies (Table 4). The

M400/M500 genotype (Figure 9, lane 16) was detected most frequently,

followed by M500/M500 and M300/M500 genotypes; the other genotypes

were detected at much lower frequencies.




 Discussion


Old World bees.

 In the east European workers examined, Mspl variants from the M100

group appeared to be specific to the Italian subspecies A. m. ligustica, while in

A. m. causcasica, the Mspl restriction fragment patterns consisted only of

variants belonging to the M200 group. Mspl variants from the M300 group

were exclusive to the west European black or German bee, A. m. mellifera.

The Ddel restriction fragment patterns in A. m. ligustica and A. m. caucasica