Interesting African Bee

[margob99]

I've just recently had a holiday in South Africa, and took some pictures of the local bees. I'm intrigued by this one, which almost looks like it has a collar of some kind on it. Comments welcomed

 

[sugarbush]

Looks like the Cape Bee. Thanks for the picture

 

[region2]

Really - http://thewakeupamerica.com/COL_0013_ILLEGAL_ALIENS_AND_CAPE_BEES.htm ?


R2

 

[The Cumbrian]

Really - http://thewakeupamerica.com/COL_0013_ILLEGAL_ALIENS_AND_CAPE_BEES.htm ?


R2

A somewhat nasty racist article in my opinion. Having read one or two other more balanced sites it is obvious that if introduced to a country they would be a huge problem

I am intrigued by the fact they are classed as a sub species of Apis mellifera when so much of their life cycle and indeed biology (workers laying fertile female eggs) is so different from the other sub species of AM.

 

[Norton]

I think it would help you a lot to do a Wiki search for "Definition of species"

 

[The Cumbrian]

I think it would help you a lot to do a Wiki search for "Definition of species"

I am aware of what a specie is without googling thanks. In fact having looked at Wiki (not my favourite source of information for various reasons) this sentence springs to mind from the article.

"While in many cases, this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are often used, such as similarity of DNA, morphology or ecological niche."

It is the fact that the supposed sub species fills a differing niche and has differing morphology (workers can lay fertile worker eggs) that makes me surprised that it is classed as a sub species rather than a species in its won right.

Also the few articles I have read show no evidence of the two sub species breeding and producing fertile young (or in fact breeding at all)

If you have references which show breeding I would be delighted to read them.

I am still left wondering why they are a sub species and not a species in their own right.

 

[Norton]

There is a hybrid zone between the two ssp.