The conservation of Apis mellifera (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Karst and Istria

Genetic analyses conducted on bee samples from Istrian Karst have revealed the presence of a high degree of genetic reshuffling of local populations due to repeated imports of non-native bees for commercial purposes. Nevertheless, genetic traces of two presumably native ecotypes are still present. The first is a hybrid between the yellow Italian bee and the grey Carniolan bee and was found mainly in the area of the Karst above Trieste, the natural boundary between the two subspecies. The second, more abundant in Istria, could be the Istrian-Dalmatian ecotype, which is described in the literature as a coastal form of the Carniolan bee adapted to the warmer drier climate of the coastal Karst. These two ecotypes are morphologically very similar, but distinct from a genetic perspective. The identification and characterization of these local strains is a first step to implementing targeted programmes for the conservation and the restoration of their rearing. It then becomes of primary importance to create regulations that prohibit the introduction of non-native bees in the area to curb the risk of extinction of local varieties.