Adaptation of Apis mellifera jemenitica (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to high temperatures: Morphological, behavioural, and physiological aspects

Abstract

This accounts for its survival under extreme thermal conditions. Only A. m. jemenitica can survive the high summer temperatures (> 40°C) that occur in Saudi Arabia, whereas A. m. carnica, A. m. ligustica and Egyptian landraces of A. m. lamarckii (Alqarni, 1995; Alattal & Alghamdi, 2015) suff er very high colony losses within the fi rst summer season. Abou-Shaara et al. (2012) report a 4-degree diff erence in the upper critical temperatures between A. m. jemenitica (61.0°C) and A. m. carnica (57.5°C). Exotic subspecies of A. mellifera have been imported to Saudi Arabia over the last few decades (MEWA, 2023), which may threaten the genetic composition and biodiversity of the local subspecies, A. m. jemenitica. Nevertheless, the over-summering and drought adaptation of A. m. jemenitica in Saudi Arabia can be considered unique (Ruttner, 1988).Ectothermic insects have evolved diff erent morphological, behavioural, and physiological traits, for example, the unique morphological leg traits and foraging behaviour of the desert ant Cataglyphis bombycina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), enable it to forage at temperatures exceeding 60°C (Wehner et al., 1992). At the molecular level, this exceptional adaptation of Cataglyphis bombycina (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is associated with increased expression and synthesis of HSPs (Gehring & Wehner, 1995). At the other extreme, the Arctic woolly bear moth Gynaephora groenlandica, a non-social insect, may require 14 years to complete its life cycle because of the need to avoid