Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among western and Asian honey bees, and Eristalis tenax collected in Myanmar

Abstract

Honey bees are valuable insects for humans in many ways and continue to benefit people’s livelihoods. Pollinator insects are essential for world food crops production. The aims of this study were to assess the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationship among the honey bees and to conduct molecular characterisation of pollinator insect species in Myanmar. The Asian honey bee species (Apis cerana and A. dorsata), the European honey bee (A. mellifera) and pollinator insect (Eristalis tenax) collected from selected research stations were studied using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene. The obtained sequences were analysed using molecular evolutionary genetics and the median-joining haplotype network analysis. The phylogenetic tree divided the entire assemblage of honey bee species collected in Myanmar, including A. mellifera, A. dorsata, and A. cerana, into three major groups, along with those from other countries. The overall haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.9232) indicated a high level of genetic diversity among Myanmar honey bee populations, whereas the nucleotide diversity was relatively low for each population (π = 0.00128–0.03576). A. mellifera showed a substantial variation (P = 0.001) in molecular variants between populations and individuals within them. Two haplotypes were found in A. mellifera and one each for A. cerana, A. dorsata, and E. tenax. This baseline data strengthens our knowledge of the genetic status of indigenous and imported species in the country.