GENETIC-CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BEES OF KANGAROO ISLAND, SOUTH-AUSTRALIA

On Kangaroo Island, South Australia, an introduced population of Apis mellifera ligustica has reputedly not hybridized with other A. mellife ra subspecies due to isolation. Bees were collected from each of 24 Ka ngaroo Island colonies to confirm their subspecies. Electromorph relat ive frequencies for the Kangaroo Island population were: malate dehydr ogenase enzyme system, Mdh65 = 0.13, Mdh80 = 0.11 and Mdh100 = 0.76; e sterase system, Est100 = 0.95, and Est130 = 0.05. Such frequencies are similar to A. m. ligustica populations from southern Italy, but dissi milar to populations from northern Italy. Morphology of Kangaroo Islan d bees is similar to A. m. ligustica reference specimens. Mitochondria l DNA restriction mapping suggested that the Kangaroo Island populatio n is of A. m. mellifera origin. It is concluded that available referen ce material is inadequate to conclusively determine the racial origin of the Kangaroo Island population, but that recent hybridization has n ot occurred.