Phylogeography of Apis cerana populations on Hainan island and southern mainland China revealed by microsatellite polymorphism and mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

In this study, we reexamined the patterns of divergence and phylogeographic structure among Apis cerana populations on Hainan island and southern mainland China. Analysis of 10 microsatellite loci from 12 geographically distinct A. cerana populations identified a total of 151 alleles, with a range of 7 to 24 at each locus. The level of genetic variation (observed heterozygosity) within each population ranged from 0.603 to 0.661, while variation within populations contributed most (93.78–98.84 %) of the molecular variance. Microsatellite data revealed three differentiated groups, one including all the mainland populations while the other two containing one of and the other three island populations, respectively. Severe genetic introgressions from mainland China into Hainan island were apparent, and these were characterized at both population and individual levels using combined analysis of microsatellites and mitochondrial DNA.