Abstract
The races of Apis mellifera L. have evolved as a result of long periods of geographical isolation and ecological adaptation. Among these subspecies, A. m. jemenitica Ruttner 1976 (Rutter 1976c) is particularly interesting because it is the only race reported to occur naturally in both Africa and Asia. According to the literature, its natural distribution is extremely large, extending for 4,500 km from the Arabian Peninsula to West Africa. However, different populations of A. m. jemenitica exhibit a high degree of morphometric variation. Moreover, published classifications of the subspecies do not agree; different names, including A. m. nubi, A. m. sudanensis, and A. m. bandasiihave been applied to different populations of A. m. jemenitica. Although African and Asian A. m. jemenitica are reported to be morphometrically similar, genetic data have not shown African A. m. jementtica to be genetically closer to the Asian A. m. jementtica than to adjacent, contiguous African subspecies like A. m. litorea, A. m. adansoniiand A. m. scutellata, which exchange genes continuously. Moreover, the African and Asian groups differ in migratory, aggressive, and brood-rearing behaviours. Thus, categorizing the geographically-isolated Asian and the African groups of A. m. jemenitica as one honey bee race is questionable. The other important issue is that the present homelands of A. m. jemenitica (near East Asia and East Africa) have been suggested as the geographic origin of A. mellifera. The existence of close similar population in both continents may support the suggestion that either of these two regions as may be the centre of origin and diversification of Apis mellifera.