ALLOZYME POLYMORPHISMS IN SPANISH HONEYBEES (APIS-MELLIFERA IBERICA)

Earlier studies have shown two types of mitochondrial DNA in Spanish h oneybees (Apis mellifera iberica): a western European or A. m. mellife ra type, which predominates in northern Spain, and a north African or A. m. intermissa type, which predominates in southern Spain, Adult wor kers from 28 colonies sampled in northern and southern Spain were surv eyed for polymorphisms at eight allozyme loci, Polymorphisms were foun d in Mdh1 (two alleles) and Pgm (five alleles). Three of the Pgm allel es have not been described previously. The frequencies of Mdh1 alleles in northern and southern samples are significantly different: Mdh1(80 ) = 0.94 in the north and 0.75 in the south. The frequencies of Pgm al leles in northern and southern samples do not differ significantly. Th e Hk allele (Hk(100)) found in all Spanish samples is the same as that found in other European populations. The results are consistent with the presence of a hybrid zone between African and west European honeyb ee subspecies in the Iberian peninsula or north Africa. The high numbe r and frequency of novel Pgm alleles in the Spanish bees resembles the ''rare allele'' phenomenon observed in other hybrid populations.