Apis cerana

Ильясов, Р.А., Марсова, М.В., Ковтун, А.С., Ватлин, А.А., Юнес, Р.А., Гайфуллина, Л.Р., Каскинова, М.Д., Николенко, А.Г., Квон, Х.В., Даниленко, В.Н., 2021. Генетические аспекты сохранения популяций медоносной пчелы Apis mellifera. In: Еськов, Е.К. ed. 5-ая Международная научно-практическая конференция "Пчеловодство холодного и умеренного климата". ФГБОУ ВО «Российский государственный аграрный заочный университет», Москва-Псков, pp. 38-47.
Ilyasov, R.A., Marsova, M.V., Kovtun, A.S., Vatlin, A.A., Younes, R.A., Gaifullina, L.R., Kaskinova, M.D., Nikolenko, A.G., Kwon, H.W., Danilenko, V.N., 2021. Genetic aspects of the conservation of populations of the honeybee Apis mellifera. In: Eskov, E.K. ed. The 5th International Scientific and Practical Conference "Cold and moderate climate beekeeping". Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation "Russian State Agrarian Correspondence University" Moscow-Pskov, pp. 38-47.
Аннотация. Под влиянием факторов окружающей среды и деятельности человека изоляция географических подвидов была нарушена и локальным генофондам подвидов стала угрожать опасность интрогрессивной гибридизации. Идентификация подвидов пчел молекулярно-генетическими методами позволяет снизить процесс гибридизации подвидов. Применение генетических методов в изучении популяции пчел позволяет оценить основные популяционно-генетические характеристики, такие как аллельное и генетическое разнообразие, инбридинг, эффективный размер популяции, эффекты бутылочного горлышка. Знания генетических показателей популяции позволят разработать эффективные стратегии сохранения генофонда подвидов пчел. Показано, что микробиом кишечника вовлечен в модуляцию практически всех систем организма медоносной пчелы и играет важную роль в иммунитете и адаптации пчел к условиям среды обитания. Комплексные исследования генома и метагенома микробиома кишечника пчел могут открыть новые перспективы в консервативной генетике популяций подвидов пчел.
Abstract. Under the influence of environmental factors and human activities, the isolation of geographic subspecies was disrupted and the local gene pools of the subspecies were threatened by the danger of introgressive hybridization. The identification of subspecies of bees by molecular genetic methods makes it possible to reduce the process of hybridization of the subspecies. The use of genetic methods in the study of the population of bees makes it possible to assess the main population genetic characteristics, such as allelic and genetic diversity, inbreeding, effective population size, and bottleneck effects. Knowledge of the genetic parameters of the population will make it possible to develop effective strategies for preserving the gene pool of bee subspecies. It has been shown that the gut microbiome is involved in the modulation of almost all systems of the honeybee and plays an important role in the immunity and adaptation of bees to environmental conditions. Comprehensive studies of the genome and metagenome of the gut microbiome of bees may open up new perspectives in the conservative genetics of populations of subspecies of bees.

Each honey is unique on the basis of chemistry, quantity and combination of the various components that attributes towards its quality. The control and characterization of quality are of great importance and interest in apiculture. Henceforth the present study analyzed the quality parameters of honeys from different bee origin and compared the results with the quality criteria laid by European Union Directive for honeys. Processing was noted to have detrimental
effect on several quality parameters of honeys; in spite of which it was remarkably within the critical limits. Moisture and electrical conductivity were within the limits as specified by EU, while slight elevation was noticed in honeys viz., Apis mellifera and Apis florea in their ash content, sucrose content and acidity. Hydroxymethyl furfural content and diastase activity of the honeys were within the levels of EU directive. The microbial analysis indicated that none of the honeys analyzed were infested with pathogenic coliforms.

Adjlane N., Badmazhapova E., Berezin A., Borodachev A., Brandorf A., Dar S. A., Dukku U.H., Eskov E., Gajda A., Gregorc A., Gulov A., Gushchina E., Hatjina F., Ilyasov R.A., Kandemir I., Kireeva T., Konusova O., Kucher A., Kwon H.W., Lee M.-l, Mitrofanov D., Ostroverkhova N., Özkan-Koca A., Pogorelov Y., Raffiudin R., Requier F., Rodrigues M., Seeley T.D., Yartsev V. (2020) Phylogenetics of bees. Editors: Ilyasov R.A., Kwon H.W. Boca Raton, London, New-York: CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group. 290 pp. (12 Color & 55 B/W Illustrations). ISBN 9781138504233.
Abstract. Bees are flying insects of the order Hymenoptera closely related to wasps and ants. The ancestors of bees are assumed to be predatory wasps, which switched to pollen consumption. Further, bees co-evolved with flowering plants and divided into several species according to climatic conditions. Widely known bees are western bees Apis mellifera, and eastern bees Apis cerana. This book sheds light on features of evolution, phylogenesis, speciation, adaptation to environment, and taxonomy of bees. It will be of particular relevance to evolutionists, geneticists, taxonomists, ecologists, population geneticist, and breeders. In this book “Phylogenetics of bees”, authors from different countries of the world have reviewed and summarized published research on the origin and evolution of colony in Apidae (Chapter 1), on phylogenies of Asian honey bees (Chapter 2), on the origin of the European bees and their intraspecific biodiversity (Chapter 3), on the classic taxonomy of Asian and European bees (Chapter 4), the genetic diversity of honey bee A. mellifera in Siberia (Chapter 5), on the current drivers of taxonomic biodiversity loss in Asian and European bees (Chapter 6), on the loss of taxonomic biodiversity of honey bees A. mellifera and A. cerana in Russia (Chapter 7), on the breeding of better and healthy honey bees as the only way to save the native biodiversity (Chapter 8), on the threats and importance of honey bee populations that spread beyond their native range, the case study of Latin America (Chapter 9), and on the history of honey bees in North America (Chapter 10).

Dar, S.A., Dukku, U.H., Ilyasov, R.A., Kandemir, I., Lee, M.L., Özkan Koca, A. 2019. Chapter 4. The classic taxonomy of Asian and European honey bees. 107-137 pp. In: R.A. Ilyasov and H.W. Kwon. [eds.]. Phylogenetics of Bees. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, London, New-York, USA. 290 pp. ISBN 9781138504233.
Abstract. Honey bees of the genus Apis, belonging to the family Apidae and the superfamily Apoidea in the order of insects Hymenoptera. The number of Apis species and their identification methods are discussed. According to different authors, the number of species of the genus varied from 6 to 24. While Apis mellifera inhabits West Asia, Africa and Europe, the ranges of all other species, including Apis cerana, are limited to Asia. A. mellifera and A. cerana are two species widely used in agriculture for the pollination, the production of honey and other products. They have adapted to wide climatic conditions. Intraspecific taxonomy for both species is incomplete and contradictory. In this review, all available studies of A. mellifera and A. cerana are analyzed to ordering the modern taxonomy of honey bees. We found that there are 27 subspecies for A. mellifera and 7 subspecies for A. cerana. However, these data are not ultimate, since some subspecies of A. mellifera and A. cerana remain unexplored.

Honey has a plethora of researches that related to its use in many disease conditions along with its recognition as a complete food for improving general health among humans irrespective of their age group. Literature so far highlights the floral specificity in the therapeutic properties of honey. In the present investigation honeys from different bee origin were collected in the raw and processed form and their therapeutic effects were ascertained. The antidiabetic property of the honeys was analyzed using the in vitro alpha amylase and alpha glycosidase enzyme inhibition assays. Among the honeys analyzed raw (77.61 % and 80.46 % at 500 µg/ml) and processed (64.84 % and 78.29 % at 500 µg/ml) Trigona honeys were found to have highest percentage of inhibition against alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase enzyme, respectively. The honeys analyzed were having moderate glycemic index and glycemic load values. This opens up scope for its utilization by diabetic people who prefer to have sugar occasionally.

Ильясов Р. А., Марсова М. В., Ковтун А. С., Ватлин А. А., Юнес Р. А., Гайфуллина Л. Р., Каскинова М. Д., Николенко А. Г., Квон Х. В., Даниленко В. Н. Микробиом кишечника медоносной пчелы Apis mellifera – потенциальный иточник биологически активных ингредиентов // Современные достижения в области апидологии / Сагитов С. Т. и др. ‒ Уфа: ФГБОУ ВО «БГПУ им. М. Акмуллы», 2021. ‒ C. 23-30. ISBN: 978-5-907475-05-2
Ilyasov R. A., Marsova M. V., Kovtun A. S., Vatlin A. A., Yunes R. A., Gaifullina L. R., Kaskinova M. D., Nikolenko A. G., Kwon H. W., Danilenko V. N. The gut microbiome of the honey bee Apis mellifera – is a potential source of biologically active ingredients // Modern advances in apidology / Sagitov S. T. et al. ‒ Ufa: FSBEI HE "BSPU named after M. Akmulla", 2021. ‒ P. 23-30. ISBN: 978-5-907475-05-2
Аннотация. Микробиом кишечника медоносной пчелы Apis mellifera содержит огра-ниченное количество эволюционно сформировавшихся представителей грамотрицательных (роды Apibacter, Bartonella, Commensalibacter, Gilliamella, Parasaccharibacter, Saccharibacter, Serratia, Snodgrassella, Frischella) и грамположительных бактерий (роды Lactococcus, Lactoba-cillus, Bifidobacterium). Их функции и значимость для отдельной особи и локальной популяции являются в последнее время предметом исследований лабораторий во всем мире. Наш интерес к изучению микробиома кишечника пчелы обусловлен их антимикробным, иммуномодулиру-ющим, нейромодулирующим потенциалом. Лактобактерии и бифидобактерии являются клас-сическими представителями пробиотических бактерий. Их использование в качестве пробио-тиков, парапробиотиков, постбиотиков, ингридиентов в фармокологических препаратах и пер-сонализированных продуктах питания постоянно расширяется. До настоящего времени мик-робиом кишечника медоносной пчелы не использовался в качестве источника пробиотиков. Полный метагеномный анализ микробиома, с использованием алгоритмов поиска заданных генов и их комбинаций, позволяет быстро и эффективно отбирать перспективные штаммы бак-терий. Последующие геномный, транскриптомный, протеомный и метаболомный анализы позволяют отобрать наиболее приемлемые в практическом отношении штаммы. В перспек-тиве, предлагаемая технологическая платформа, отработанная на удобном модельном объекте A. mellifera, позволит использовать ее и на других животных объектах.
Annotation. The gut microbiome of the honey bee Apis mellifera contains a limited number of evolutionarily formed representatives of gram-negative (genera Apibacter, Bartonella, Commen-salibacter, Gilliamella, Parasaccharibacter, Saccharibacter, Serratia, Snodgrassella, Frischella) and gram-positive bacteria (genera Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium). Their functions and significance for the individuals and the local population have recently been the subject of research in laboratories around the world. Our interest in the study of the gut microbiome of the honey bees is due to its antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, neuromodulatory potential. Lactobacteria and bifidobacteria are the classic probiotic bacteria. Their use as probiotics, paraprobiotics, postbiotics, pharmaceutical ingredients and personalized food products is constantly expanding. Until now, the honeybee gut microbiome has not been used as a source of probiotics. A complete metagenomic analysis of the microbiome, using algorithms for searching for specified genes and their combina-tions, makes it possible to quickly and efficiently select promising strains of bacteria. Subsequent genomic, transcriptome, proteomic, and metabolomic analyzes make it possible to select the most practically acceptable strains. In the future, the proposed technological platform, tested at a conven-ient model of A. mellifera, allows it to be used on other animals.

Ilyasov, R. A., Han, G. Y., Lee, M. L., Kim, K. W., Proshchalykin, M. Y., Lelej, A. S., Takahashi, J., & Kwon, H. W. (2019). Phylogenetic relationships of Russian Far-East Apis cerana with other north Asian populations. Journal of Apicultural Science, 63(2), 297–322. https://doi.org/10.2478/JAS-2019-0024
Abstract. Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793 is the eastern honeybee species distributed throughout Asia from the tropical climate in the southern part to the temperate climate in the northern part. We sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of A. cerana from Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai of the Russian Far East and uploaded it to the database GenBank (AP018450). MtDNA sequence has 15,919 bp length, AT-content 84{\%} and GC-content 16{\%} and contains 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, one AT-rich region and four non-coding intergenic regions (NC1-4). All proteincoding genes start with ATT and ATG codons, except for ATC, the start codon of the ATP8 gene, which and stop with the common stop codons TAA and TAG. A comparative analysis of complete mtDNA of A. cerana from China, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan found that the Russian Far East Apis cerana differed from others on the subspecies level. Based on the comparative analysis of complete mtDNA ({\~{}}16,000 bp), nuclear DNA (nDNA) gene Vitellogenin (VG) ({\~{}}4,100 bp) and morphological measurements (six parameters), we assumed that the Russian Far-East A. cerana can be a distinct northern Asia population and can be described as a separate unique subspecies of A. c. ussuriensis subsp. nov. A. c. koreana subsp. nov. is also validated and described as a new subspecies.

Ilyasov, R. A., Han, G. Y., Lee, M. L., Kim, K. W., Park, J. H., Takahashi, J. I., Kwon, H. W., Nikolenko, A. G. (2021). Phylogenetic relationships among honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera caucasia and Apis mellifera carpathica based on the sequences of the mitochondrial genome. Russian Journal of Genetics, 57(6), 697-710. doi: 10.1134/S1022795421060041.
Abstract—The sequences of the complete mitochondrial genome of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. subspecies Apis mellifera caucasia Pollmann, 1889 (AP018404, 16341 bp) and Apis mellifera carpathica Foti et al., 1965 (AP018403, 16336 bp) are sequenced for the first time. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of both subspecies contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one AT-rich regulatory region. The ratio of transitions to transversions (tr/tv) in complete mtDNA between A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica was 2.05, which reflects the formation of adaptations to changing environmental conditions. Genes with the highest GC content—COX1 (24%), COX2 (19.6%), CYTB (19.1%), COX3 (17.2%), and ND1 (17.2%)—can be highly polymorphic and can be used in phylogenetic and population studies of bees. The majority of mtDNA genes of both subspecies are located on the heavy strand (9 protein-coding genes and 14 tRNA genes), while other genes (4 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 8 tRNA genes) are located on the light strand. Cluster analysis of the complete mtDNA sequence and assessment of the structure of the tRNA-Leu(UUR)– COX2 intergenic region with a single Q element 192 bp in length showed that both subspecies A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica are representatives of the line C with haplotypes C2 and C2j, respectively. Honey bee subspecies A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica can be differentiated from each other by 34 unique SNPs in 11 mtDNA genes and the XbaI restriction marker in the ND5 gene. These genetic markers can contribute to the preservation of purebred gene pools of honey bee subspecies A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica within their natural range.

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an open pollinated crop and the world’s fourth important source of edible oil. Two fields, one of them adjacent to an apiary with 40 hives, were sampled weekly for two months. A total of fifteen species of insect pollinators were recorded. Species of the order Hymenoptera were the most abundant (91%), followed by those of Lepidoptera (6%) and Diptera (3%). The relative abundance of four Apis species, i.e. Apis mellifera, A. dorsata, A. cerana and A. florea, varied on hourly and weekly basis. The peak densities of all honeybee species were recorded at 12.00 pm and 02:00 pm while minimum densities were recorded at 08:00 am and 04:00 pm. Apis mellifera was the most recorded honeybee species compared to other Apis spp. during the study. In both fields the differences were significant.

Phylogenetic relationships among honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera caucasia and Apis mellifera carpathica based on the sequences of the mitochondrial genome.  Ильясов, Р. А., Хан, Г. Ю., Ли, М. Л., Ким, К. В., Парк, Д. Х., Такахаши, Д. И., Квон Х. В., Николенко, А. Г. (2021). Филогенетические отношения подвидов пчел Apis mellifera caucasia и Apis mellifera carpathica по последовательностям митохондриального генома. Генетика, 57(6), 697-710. doi: 10.31857/S0016675821060047.
Аннотация. Последовательности полного митохондриального генома медоносной пчелы Apis mellifera L. подвидов Apis mellifera caucasia Pollmann, 1889 (AP018404, 16341 пн) и Apis mellifera carpathica Foti et al., 1965 (AP018403, 16336 пн) были впервые секвенированы. Митохондриальные ДНК (мтДНК) обоих подвидов содержат 13 кодирующих белок генов, 22 гена тРНК, два гена рРНК и AT-обогащенную регуляторную область. Отношение транзиций к трансверсиям полной мтДНК между A. m. caucasia и A. m. carpathica было 2.05, что характеризует формирование адаптаций к сменяющимся условиям среды обитания. Гены с наибольшим содержанием GC – COX1 (24%), COX2 (19.6%), CYTB (19.1%), COX3 (17.2%) и ND1 (17.2%) могут быть высокополиморфны и использованы в филогенетических и популяционных исследованиях пчел. Большинство генов мтДНК обоих подвидов расположены на тяжелой цепи (девять кодирующих белок генов и 14 генов тРНК), и меньшее число генов (четыре кодирующих белок гена, два гена рРНК и восемь генов тРНК) расположено на легкой цепи. Кластерный анализ последовательности полной мтДНК и оценка структуры межгенной области tRNA-Leu(UUR)–COX2 с единственным элементом Q размером 192 пн показали, что оба подвида являются представителями линии C с гаплотипами C2 и C2j соответственно. Подвиды медоносной пчелы A. m. caucasia и A. m. carpathica могут быть дифференцированы друг от друга по 34 уникальным SNP в 11 генах мтДНК и маркеру рестрикции XbaI в гене ND5. Эти генетические маркеры могут способствовать сохранению чистопородных генофондов пчел подвидов A. m. caucasia и A. m. carpathica в пределах их естественного ареала.

Ильясов Р. А., Хан Г. Ю., Ли М. Л., Ким К. В., Парк Д. Х., Такахаши Д. И., Квон Х. В., Николенко А. Г. Клещ Varroa underwoodi - потенциальный паразит европейских пчел. Часть 2 // Пчеловодство. - 2021. № 10. - C. 24-27. (Ilyasov R. A., Han G. Y., Lee M. L., Kim K. W., Park J. H., Takahashi J. I., Kwon H. W., Nikolenko A. G. Mite Varroa underwoodi  - a potential parasite of Apis mellifera. Part 2 // Russian Journal of Beekeeping "Pchelovodstvo". - 2021. 10. - P. 24-27.)
Аннотация. Виды рода Varroa являются эктопаразитическими клещами медоносных пчел рода Apis. В отличие от хорошо известных видов клещей V. destructor и V. jacobsoni, V. underwoodi до сих пор остается малоизученным. Согласно зарубежным публикациям, признанный ареал распространения V. underwoodi в популяции A. cerana включает Непал, Южную Корею, Японию, Малайзию, Индию, Индонезию, Папуа-Новую Гвинею, Вьетнам и Китай, за исключением России. Хотя V. underwoodi ранее описывался на пчелах подвида A. c. ussuriensis в Приморском крае России, этот факт до сих пор остается малоизвестным в связи с небольшим количеством публикаций на английском языке. Поскольку V. destructor и V. jacobsoni обладают способностью легко переходить на другие виды пчел, есть вероятность того, что V. underwoodi также может в дальнейшем перейти с азиатских пчел A. cerana на европейских пчел A. mellifera. Первый случай паразитирования V. underwoodi в семьях пчел A. mellifera был зафиксирован в Папуа-Новой Гвинее. Паразитический клещ V. underwoodi требует тщательного изучения, поскольку является новым потенциальным паразитом A. mellifera, который способен также принести с собой новые виды и штаммы вирусов и бактерий, изменить состав микробиома кишечника, нарушить защитные и адаптивные механизмы организма. В статье представлены данные морфометрии и полиморфизма гена COX1 мтДНК. Было проведено сравнение V. underwoodi с другими видами клещей V. destructor и V. jacobsoni. Средняя генетическая дивергенция и p-дистанция между V. underwoodi и другими видами Varroa составляли 9% и 0,09, соответственно, которые согласуются с уровнем видовых различий у членистоногих. Нуклеотидные последовательности гена COX1 мтДНК V. underwoodi из Приморского края России LC532104 и из провинции Jilin Китая MH205176 оказались идентичными и были отнесены к гаплотипу China 1 MH205176. Предполагается, что между популяциями A. cerana России и Китая происходит непрерывная миграция, которая привела к распространению клеща V. underwoodi в природной популяции A. c. ussuriensis в Приморском крае России. Таким образом, северная граница ареала V. underwoodi находится на территории России и, вероятно, совпадает с ареалом A. c. ussuriensis и доходит до 45.060 с. ш. Вероятно, что селекции семей пчел A. mellifera по гигиеническому поведению против клеща V. destructor может оказаться эффективной также против V. underwoodi и позволит предотвратить возможный переход V. underwoodi с азиатских пчел A. cerana на европейских пчел A. mellifera.
Abstract. Species of the genus Varroa are ectoparasitic mites of the Apis honeybees. Unlike the well-known species of ticks V. destructor and V. jacobsoni, V. underwoodi is still poorly studied. According to foreign publications, the recognized distribution area of V. underwoodi in the A. cerana population includes Nepal, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, and China, with the exception of Russia. Although V. underwoodi was previously described on honey bees of the subspecies A. c. ussuriensis in the Primorsky Territory of Russia, this fact is still little known due to the small number of publications in English. Since V. destructor and V. jacobsoni have the ability to easily switch to other bee species, there is a possibility that V. underwoodi may also later switch from Asian honey bees A. cerana to European honey bees A. mellifera. The first case of V. underwoodi parasitizing in A. mellifera colonies was recorded in Papua New Guinea. The parasitic mite V. underwoodi requires careful study, since it is a new potential parasite of honey bees A. mellifera, which can also bring with it new species and strains of viruses and bacteria, change the composition of the gut microbiome, and disrupt the protective and adaptive mechanisms of the organism. The article presents the data of morphometry and polymorphism of the gene COX1 of mtDNA. V. underwoodi was compared with other mite species V. destructor and V. jacobsoni. The mean genetic divergence and p-distance between V. underwoodi and other Varroa species were 9% and 0.09, respectively, which are consistent with the level of species differences in arthropods. The nucleotide sequences of the gene COX1 of mtDNA of V. underwoodi from Primorsky Territory of Russia LC532104 and from the Jilin province of China MH205176 turned out to be identical and were assigned to the China 1 MH205176 haplotype. It is assumed that there is continuous migration between the A. cerana populations of Russia and China, which led to the spread of the V. underwoodi tick in the natural population of A. c. ussuriensis in the Primorsky Territory of Russia and is distributed up to 45.06N. Thus, the northern border of the V. underwoodi range is located on the territory of Russia and, probably, coincides with the range of A. c. ussuriensis. It is likely that the selection of A. mellifera bee colonies for hygienic behavior against the V. destructor mite may also be effective against V. underwoodi and will prevent the possible transition of V. underwoodi from the Asian A. cerana bees to the European A. mellifera bees.

Ilyasov, R.A., Takahashi, J.I., Proshchalykin, M.Y., Lelej, A.S., Lee, M.L., Kwon, H.W., Nikolenko, A. G. (2021). First evidence of presence of Varroa underwoodi mites on native Apis cerana colonies in Primorsky Territory of Russia based on COX1 gene. Journal of Apicultural Science 65 (1), 177-186. doi: 10.2478/JAS-2021-0014.
Abstract. The species of genus Varroa mites parasitize on the honey bees of genus Apis. Unlike the well-studied V. destructor and V. jacobsoni mites, V. underwoodi remain less known. According to English language publications, the proven V. underwoodi distribution area of A. cerana colonies covers Nepal, South Korea, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and China, but not Russia even though it had been described morphometrically in Russian language publications in Russia’s Primorsky Territory. According to Vavilov’s law (1920) of a homologous series, all the species of V. underwoodi, V. destructor and V. jacobsoni have the ability to spill over onto new hosts. Thus, V. underwoodi is a potential parasite of A. mellifera that should be carefully studied. In this study, V. underwoodi mites in colonies of honey bee subspecies A. c. ussuriensis native to Russia’s Primorsky Territory are first proven using both morphometry and mitochondrial COX1 gene sequencing. The genetic divergence and p-distances between V. underwoodi and other Varroa species ranged from 7 to 10% and from 0.072 to 0.099, respectively, which matched the intraspecific level of differences. Two identical northernmost V. underwoodi samples from Russia’s Primorsky Territory and China’s Jilin province with GenBank accession number MH205176 were assigned as COX1 haplotype China 1 MH205176. The first discovery of V. underwoodi in the Primorsky Territory in northern Asia outlined the northern border of its range.

Kim, D.-I., Ilyasov, R.A., Yunusbaev, U.B., Lee, S.-H., Kwon, H.W., 2021. Behavioral and molecular responses of Aedes aegypti to ultrasound. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology 24 (2), xxx-xxx. doi: 10.1016/j.aspen.2020.12.016.
Mosquito-borne infectious diseases cause mortality and global infectious disease burden worldwide. There are several electronic mosquito repellents (EMRs) based on ultrasound have been developed and commercialized to reduce human-mosquito contacts. However, the efficacy of EMRs against mosquitoes is still unclear. In this study, we present experimental evidence that ultrasound of different frequency and sound pressure differentially affects the host-seeking behavior of Aedes aegypti females. Behavioral tests were accompanied by molecular experiments to check whether mosquitoes respond to ultrasound and are there any changes in specific mRNA expression. Experiments in bioassays revealed that the ultrasound of 100 kHz frequency and 90–110 dB pressure significantly disrupted CO₂-oriented olfactory behaviors and blocked indoor invasion. Furthermore, a long time (>24 h) exposure to 100 kHz frequency/90 dB pressure of ultrasound decreased attractive behaviors to human skin. At the molecular level, there was no change in expression of odorant receptor co-receptor (AaOrco) in ultrasound treated animals, while one of the CO2 receptor genes, AaGr3, and putative hearing-related gene, AAEL009258, were down-regulated and up-regulated, respectively. Our study indicates that high frequency (100 kHz) and pressure (90–110 dB) of the ultrasound has repellent effects to olfactory–driven behaviors of mosquitoes.
Инфекционные заболевания, переносимые комарами, являются причиной смертности и глобального бремени инфекционных заболеваний во всем мире. Существует несколько электронных репеллентов от комаров (ЭМИ) на основе ультразвука, которые были разработаны и коммерциализированы для уменьшения контактов человека с комарами. Однако эффективность ЭМИ против комаров до сих пор неясна. В этом исследовании мы представляем экспериментальные доказательства того, что ультразвук разной частоты и звукового давления по-разному влияет на поведение самок Aedes aegypti в поисках хозяина. Поведенческие тесты сопровождались молекулярными экспериментами, чтобы проверить, реагируют ли комары на ультразвук и есть ли какие-либо изменения в специфической экспрессии мРНК. Эксперименты по биопробам показали, что ультразвук с частотой 100 кГц и давлением 90–110 дБ значительно нарушает CO-ориентированное обонятельное поведение и блокирует вторжение в помещение. Кроме того, длительное (> 24 ч) воздействие ультразвука частотой 100 кГц / давлением 90 дБ снижает привлекательность кожи человека. На молекулярном уровне не было изменений в экспрессии корецептора рецептора запаха (AaOrco) у животных, обработанных ультразвуком, в то время как один из генов рецептора CO2, AaGr3, и предполагаемый ген, связанный со слухом, AAEL009258, подавлялись и повышались. -регулируемые соответственно. Наше исследование показывает, что высокая частота (100 кГц) и давление (90–110 дБ) ультразвука имеют репеллентный эффект на обонятельное поведение комаров.

Ilyasov, R.A., Lee, M.-L., Takahashi, J.-I., Kwon, H.W., Nikolenko, A.G., 2020. A revision of subspecies structure of western honey bee Apis mellifera. Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences 27 (12), 3615-3621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.08.001.

Abstract.The taxonomy of honey bee A. mellifera contains a lot of issues due to the specificity of population struc- ture, features of biology and resolutions of honey bee subspecies discrimination methods. There are a lot of transition zones between ranges of subspecies which led to the gradual changes of characteristics among neighbor subspecies. The modern taxonomic pattern of honey bee Apis mellifera is given in this paper. Thirty-three distinct honey bee subspecies are distributed across all Africa (11 subspecies), Western Asia and the Middle East (9 subspecies), and Europe (13 subspecies). All honey bee subspecies are subdivided into 5 evolutionary lineages: lineage A (10 subspecies) and its sublineage Z (3 subspecies), lineage M (3 subspecies), lineage C (10 subspecies), lineage O (3 subspecies), lineage Y (1 subspecies), lin- eage C or O (3 subspecies).

The vitellogenin egg yolk precursor protein represents a
pleiotropy in the model organism Apis mellifera. Vitellogenin is
associated with fecundity in queens and plays a major role in
thereby affecting both individual and colony-level fitness. We
studied the molecular evolution of vitellogenin and seven other genes sequenced in a a large population panel of
Apis mellifera and several closely related species to investigate
the role of social pleiotropy on adaptive protein evolution. We found a significant excess of nonsynonymous fixed differences between A. mellifera, A. cerana and A. florea relative to
synonymous sites indicating high rates of adaptive evolution at
vitellogenin. Indeed, 88% of amino acid changes were fixed by selection in some portions of the gene.
Further, vitellogenin exhibited hallmark signatures of selective sweeps in A. mellifera, including a significant skew in the allele frequency spectrum, extreme levels of genetic differentiation and linkage disequilibrium. Finally, replacement
polymorphisms in vitellogenin were significantly enriched in parts of the protein involved in binding lipid, establishing a link between the gene’s structure, function and effects on fitness. Our study provides unequivocal evidence of historical and ongoing bouts of adaptive evolution acting on a key socially pleiotropic gene in the honey bee.

Ilyasov R. A., Han G. Y., Lee M. L., Kim K. W., Proshchalykin M. Y., Lelej A. S., Park J. H., Takahashi J. I., Kwon H. W., Nikolenko A. G. Genetic properties and evolution of asian honey bee Apis cerana ussuriensis from Primorsky Krai, Russia. Russian Journal of Genetics. 2021. 57(5). P. 557-571. DOI: 10.1134/S1022795421050033.
Apis cerana ussuriensis Ilyasov et al., 2019 is the northernmost subspecies of the Asian honey bee A. cerana Fabricius, 1793, common in the forests of Primorsky krai and Khabarovsk krai as far as 47°54′ N. Genetic studies of this subspecies are of great interest for science and apiculture, since all its adaptive traits were formed under the influence of the natural environment without human interference. We sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of bees of subspecies Apis cerana ussuriensis Ilyasov et al., 2019 (Genbank accession number AP018450) from Primorsky krai and Apis cerana koreana Ilyasov et al., 2019 from South Korea, as well as six exons of the nuclear DNA (nDNA) vitellogenin VG E2– E7 gene of bee subspecies A. c. ussuriensis, A. c. koreana, A. c. japonica Radoszkowski, 1887, A. c. cerana, and A. c. indica Fabricius, 1798. Cluster analysis of the mtDNA and the nDNA VG gene sequences showed the division of bees into two groups, the southern subspecies A. c. indica and the northern subspecies A. c. ussuriensis, A. c. koreana, A. c. japonica, and A. c. cerana. On the basis of the genetic divergence, we showed that subspecies A. c. ussuriensis was genetically closer to subspecies A. c. japonica, A. c. koreana, and A. c. cerana than to subspecies A. c. indica. Values of genetic divergence (0.80%–8.00%) and Jukes–Cantor genetic distance (0.005–0.100) for mtDNA and nDNA VG gene between subspecies A. c. ussuriensis, A. c. koreana, A. c. japonica, A. c. cerana, and A. c. indica are within the range of intraspecific differences between insect subspecies. The estimated time of the emergence of the A. cerana subspecies is from two to one million years ago.

Studies were carried out at the Bee garden, Department of Plant Protection, Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirappalli district to investigate the effect of probiotic supplement for the management of diseases on honey bees. The European Foul Brood (EFB) affected cells per 100 cm2 brood area showed a significant difference among the colonies that received treatment (0.07±0.03 / 100 cm2 brood area) and in control (0.45±0.10 / 100 cm2 brood area). The Thai Sac Brood (TSB) affected cells per 100 cm2 brood area also showed significant difference among the colonies that received treatment (0.05±0.02 / 100 cm2 brood area) and in control (0.59±0.18 / 100 cm2 brood area). There were a decreased incidence of disease in the probiotic fed colonies (treated) than the probiotic non-fed colonies (control). The probiotic feed also resulted in a significant colony development as evidenced by increased brood comb area in probiotic fed colonies (treated) than probi...

Ильясов, Р.А., Такахаши, Д.И., Ли, М.Л., Прощалыкин, М.Ю., Лелей, А.С., Квон, Х.В., Даниленко, В.Н., Николенко, А.Г., 2022. Характеристика клещей Varroa underwoodi (Acari Varroidae) в популяции Apis cerana ussuriensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) в Приморском крае, Россия. Журнал Общей Биологии. 83 (1), 38-50. doi: 10.31857/S0044459622010055. (SCI, WoS, Scopus). IF = 1,028.
Ilyasov, R.A., Takahashi, J.I., Lee, M.L., Proshchalykin, M.Y., Lelej, A.S., Kwon, H.W., Danilenko, V.N., Nikolenko, A.G., 2022. Characteristics of Varroa underwoodi mites (Acari: Varroidae) in the population of Apis cerana ussuriensis (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the Primorsky Krai of Russia. Biology Bulletin Reviews (Zhurnal obshchei biologii). 83 (1), 38-50. doi: 10.31857/S0044459622010055. (SCI, WoS, Scopus). IF = 1,028. ISSN 0044-4596
Abstract. Species of the genus Varroa are ectoparasitic mites of the Apis honey bees. Unlike the well-known species ofmites V. destructor and V. jacobsoni, V. underwoodi is still poorly studied. According to foreign publications, thecurrently recognized distribution of V. underwoodi in the A. cerana population includes Nepal, South Korea,Japan, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, and China. Recently it was discovered inthe Russia (Primorsky Krai) on the honey bees A. cerana ussuriensis. Since V. destructor and V. jacobsoni havethe ability to easily switch to other bee species, there is a possibility that later V. underwoodi may also extensively switch from Asian honey bees A. cerana to European honey bees A. mellifera. The first case of V. underwoodi parasitizing in A. mellifera colonies was recorded in Papua New Guinea. The parasitic mite V. underwoodi requires careful study, since it is a new potential parasite of honey bees A. mellifera, which can also bringnew species and strains of viruses and bacteria, change the composition of the gut microbiome, and disruptthe protective and adaptive mechanisms of the bees. The article presents the data on morphometry and polymorphism of the gene COX1 of mtDNA. Varroa underwoodi was compared with other mite species V. destructor and V. jacobsoni. The mean genetic divergence and p-distance between V. underwoodi and other Varroaspecies were 9% and 0.09, respectively, which are consistent with the level of species differences in insects.The nucleotide sequences of the gene COX1 of mtDNA of V. underwoodi from Primorsky Krai of RussiaLC532104 and from the Jilin province of China MH205176 turned out to be identical and were assigned tothe China 1 MH205176 haplotype. It is assumed that there is continuous migration between the A. ceranapopulations of Russia and China, which led to the spread of V. underwoodi in the natural population of A. cerana ussuriensis in the Primorsky Krai of Russia, and the mite is currently distributed up to 45.06°N. Thus, thenorthern border of the V. underwoodi range is located on the territory of Russian Far East and, probably, coincides with the range of A. cerana ussuriensis. It is likely that the selection of A. mellifera bee colonies for hygienic behavior against the V. destructor mite may also be effective against V. underwoodi and will prevent thepossible transition of V. underwoodi from Asian A. cerana to European A. mellifera.
Аннотация. Виды рода Varroa являются эктопаразитическими клещами медоносных пчел рода Apis. В отличие от хорошо известных видов клещей V. destructor и V. jacobsoni, V. underwoodi остается мало изученным. Современный ареал V. underwoodi в популяции A. cerana включает Непал, Южную Корею, Японию, Малайзию, Индию, Индонезию, Папуа-Новую Гвинею, Вьетнам и Китай. Недавно он был найден в России (Приморский край) на A. cerana ussuriensis. Поскольку V. destructor и V. jacobsoni обладают способностью легко переходить на другие виды медоносных пчел, есть большая вероятность того,что V. underwoodi может в дальнейшем перейти в массовом порядке с  A. cerana на A. mellifera. Первый случай паразитирования V. underwoodi в семьях пчел A. mellifera зафиксирован в Папуа-Новой Гвинее. Varroa underwoodi требует тщательного изучения, поскольку является новым потенциальным паразитом A. mellifera и способен принести с собой новые виды и штаммы вирусов и бактерий, изменить состав микробиома кишечника пчел, нарушить защитные и адаптивные механизмы их организма. В статье представлены данные морфометрии V. underwoodi и полиморфизма его гена COX1мтДНК. Проведено сравнение V. underwoodi с другими видами клещей V. destructor и V. jacobsoni. Средняя генетическая дивергенция и p-дистанция между V. underwoodi и другими видами Varroa составляли 9% и 0.09 соответственно, что согласуется со средним уровнем видовых различий у насекомых. Нуклеотидные последовательности гена COX1 мтДНК V. underwoodi из Приморского края (Россия) LC532104 и провинции Цзилинь (Китай) MH205176 оказались идентичными и отнесены кгаплотипу China 1 MH205176. Предполагается, что между популяциями A. cerana России и Китая происходит непрерывный обмен, который привел к появлению V. underwoodi в природной популяции A. cerana ussuriensis в Приморском крае. Современная северная граница ареала V. underwoodi проходит по территории Дальнего Востока России и, вероятно, совпадает с таковой A. cerana ussuriensis (45.06° с.ш.). Вероятно, селекция семей пчел A. mellifera по гигиеническому поведению против клещей V. destructor может оказаться эффективной также против V. underwoodi и позволит предотвратить возможный переход V. underwoodi с азиатских пчел A. cerana на европейских пчел A. mellifera.

Ilyasov, R.A., Takahashi, J.I., Proshchalykin, M.Y., Lelej, A.S., Lee, M.L., Kwon, H.W., Nikolenko, A. G. (2021). First evidence of presence of Varroa underwoodi mites on native Apis cerana colonies in Primorsky Territory of Russia based on COX1 gene. Journal of Apicultural Science 65 (1), 177-186. doi: 10.2478/JAS-2021-0014. Abstract. The species of genus Varroa mites parasitize on the honey bees of genus Apis. Unlike the well-studied V. destructor and V. jacobsoni mites, V. underwoodi remain less known. According to English language publications, the proven V. underwoodi distribution area of A. cerana colonies covers Nepal, South Korea, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam and China, but not Russia even though it had been described morphometrically in Russian language publications in Russia’s Primorsky Territory. According to Vavilov’s law (1920) of a homologous series, all the species of V. underwoodi, V. destructor and V. jacobsoni have the ability to spill over onto new hosts. ...

Ильясов Р. А., Хан Г. Ю., Ли М. Л., Ким К. В., Прощалыкин М. Ю., Лелей А. С., Парк Д. Х., Такахаши Д. И., Квон Х. В., Николенко А. Г. Генетические показатели и эволюция уссурийской восковой пчелы Apis cerana ussuriensis из Приморского края России. Генетика. 2021. T. 57, № 5. C. 557-571. DOI: 10.31857/s0016675821050039.
Apis cerana ussuriensis Ilyasov et al., 2019 – самый северный подвид восковой пчелы A. cerana Fabricius, 1793, распространенный в лесах Приморского и Хабаровского краев до 47°54′ с.ш. Генетические исследования этого подвида представляют большой интерес для науки и пчеловодства, поскольку все адаптивные признаки сформировались под действием окружающей среды без участия человека. Мы секвенировали и аннотировали последовательности полной митохондриальной ДНК (мтДНК) пчел подвидов Apis cerana ussuriensis Ilyasov et al., 2019 (номер в Генбанке AP018450) из Приморского края и Apis cerana koreana Ilyasov et al., 2019 (AP018431) из Южной Кореи и шести экзонов гена вителлогенина VG E2–E7 ядерной ДНК (яДНК) подвидов пчел A. c. ussuriensis, A. c. koreana, A. c. japonica Radoszkowski, 1887, A. c. cerana и A. c. indica Fabricius, 1798. Методом кластерного анализа последовательностей мтДНК и гена VG яДНК было показано разделение пчел на две группы, включающие южный подвид A. c. indica и северные подвиды A. c. ussuriensis, A. c. koreana, A. c. japonica, A. c. cerana. На основе генетической дивергенции было показано, что подвид A. c. ussuriensis генетически ближе к подвидам A. c. japonica, A. c. koreana и A. c. cerana чем к подвиду A. c. indica. Значения генетической дивергенции (0.80–8.00%) и генетической дистанции Jukes–Cantor (0.005–0.100) по мтДНК и гену VG яДНК между подвидами A. c. ussuriensis, A. c. koreana, A. c. japonica, A. c. cerana, A. c. indica находятся в пределах внутривидовых различий между подвидами насекомых. Предположительное время возникновения подвидов A. cerana – от двух до одного млн лет назад.

Melittin is a major component of honey bee venom that has many biological effects including anticancer properties. The melittin content of Asian honey bee (Apis cerana F.) venom was isolated and quantify by reversed phase-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HLPC) in Bangladesh. Melittin content was found to present in 59.3% of total venom content in Asian honey bee venom. Venom compounds were investigated at 254 nm and the retention time of venom-melittin was compared with an external standard (Sigma-Aldrich). This finding was compared with previously published findings. By comparing the present data with the earlier studied findings, a projection has been made on the quantification of melittin compound.

Momeni, J., Parejo, M., Nielsen, R.O., Langa, J., Montes, I., Ilyasov, R., et al., 2021. Authoritative subspecies diagnosis tool for European honey bees based on ancestry informative SNPs. BMC Genomics 22 (1), 101. doi: 10.1186/s12864-021-07379-7. With numerous endemic subspecies representing four of its five evolutionary lineages, Europe holds a large fraction of Apis mellifera genetic diversity. This diversity and the natural distribution range have been altered by anthropogenic factors. The conservation of this natural heritage relies on the availability of accurate tools for subspecies diagnosis. Based on pool-sequence data from 2145 worker bees representing 22 populations sampled across Europe, we employed two highly discriminative approaches (PCA and FST) to select the most informative SNPs for ancestry inference. Results: Using a supervised machine learning (ML) approach and a set of 3896 genotyped individuals, we could show that the 4094 selected single nucleotide polymorphi...

Бюхлер Р., Узунов А., Ильясов Р. А., Коста С., Мейкснер М., Ле Конте И., Мондет Ф., Ковачич М., Андонов С., Каррек Н. Л., Димитров Л., Бассо, Б., Биенковска М., Далл’Олио Р., Хатджина Ф., Вирц У. Проект EURBEST: тестирование пчел на устойчивость к клещу варроа // Пчеловодство. ‒ 2022. № 2. ‒ C. 62-64. (Büchler R., Uzunov A., Ilyasov R. A., Costa C., Meixner M., Le Conte Y., Mondet F., Kovacic M., Andonov S., Carreck N. L., Dimitrov L., Basso B., Bienkowska M., Dall’Olio R., Hatjina F., Wirtz U. EURBEST project: testing bees for resistance to the mite Varroa // Russian Journal of Beekeeping "Pchelovodstvo". ‒ 2022. № 2. ‒ P. 62-64.)

В 2017 году Европейская комиссия создала международный консорциум по исследованию пчел EurBeST (European Bee Selection Team) на базе Института пчеловодства в Кирхгайне, Германия. В рамках основной части проекта EurBeST было проведено пять крупномасштабных исследований, включающих семь стран Европейского Союза и 130 пчеловодов. Команда EurBeST определила и отобрала 23 линии пчел, принадлежащие к шести подвидам пчел, а также пчел гибридного происхождения. Пчелы были тестированы на общие признаки и признаки устойчивости к клещу Varroa. Тестирование пчел было проведено на двух различных уровнях: [1] сравнительное тестирование исследователями нескольких тестовых линий пчел на одной пасеке, [2] сравнительное тестирование коммерческими пчеловодами нескольких тестовых линий пчел вместе со своими линиями пчел в обычных полевых условиях. Проект EurBeST испытал более 3500 семей в течение одного сезона и считается одним из крупнейших исследований по оценке медоносных пчел на устойчивость к клещу Varroa в Европе. В результате проведенных исследований EurBeST были получены сведения о линиях медоносных пчел, обладающих устойчивостью к клещу Varroa и способные подавлять размножение клещей Varroa в семье. Селекции пчел является важным и единственно возможным инструментом для перехода к экологически чистому пчеловодству без лечения от болезней. Было доказано, что селекция пчел на устойчивость к клещу Varroa работает, но она дорогостоящая. Гигиеническое поведение против клеща Varroa и подавление его развития являются полезным критериями для отбора пчел, устойчивых к клещу Varroa. Однако затраты на тестирование пчел для селекционеров высоки и должны быть компенсированы государством.
In 2017, the European Commission set up the international bee research consortium EurBeST (European Bee Selection Team) based at the Institute of Beekeeping in Kirchhain, Germany. Five large-scale surveys involving seven European Union countries and 130 beekeepers have been carried out in the core part of the EurBeST project. The EurBeST team identified and selected 23 honey bee lines belonging to six bee subspecies as well as bees of hybrid origin. They were tested for common traits and traits of resistance to the Varroa mite. Honey bee testing has been performed at two different levels: [1] comparative testing by researchers of several test honey bee lines in a single apiary; and [2] comparative testing by commercial beekeepers of several test honey bee lines together with their honey bee lines under normal field conditions. The EurBeST project has evaluated more than 3500 colonies in a single season and is considered one of the biggest studies in Europe for the evaluation of the resistance of honey bees to the Varroa mite. The results of the EurBeST surveys have shown that Varroa mite-resistant honey bee lines can suppress Varroa mite reproduction in honey bee colonies. Honey bee selection is an important and the only possible tool for the transition to environmentally friendly beekeeping without disease treatment. The selection of bees for resistance to the Varroa mite has been proven to work, but it is expensive. Hygienic behavior of honey bees against the Varroa mite and suppression of its development are useful criteria for selecting Varroa mite-resistant honey bees. However, the cost of testing bees for breeders is high and must be compensated by the government.

Ilyasov R.A., Poskryakov A.V., Nikolenko A.G. Chapter 1. The Genetic Structure of Dark European Honey Bee Population in the Ural. In: Honeybees: biology, behavior and benefits, Editor: Daniaele Dreesen. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2016. P. 1-13. ISBN: 978-1-63484-051-4 (e-book edition). ISBN: 978-1-63484-037-8 (hardcopy edition). 149 pp.
The beekeepers in Russia and Europe have been introducing bees from the southern regions to the northern ones for the last two centuries. Eventually the genetic pool of the dark European bee subspecies Apis mellifera mellifera L. was extensive hybridized. We analyzed the polymorphism of the mitochondrial (mtDNA COI–COII intergenic locus) and nuclear (two microsatellite loci, ap243 and 4a110) DNA markers in order to prove the preservation of the native bee population in the Urals, in the Republic of Bashkortostan, and the Perm Krai. Four local populations of the dark European honey bee A.m.mellifera surviving in the Urals have been identified and their principal genetic characteristics have been determined. The data of the genetic structure and geographical localization of the area of the dark European bee local populations in the Urals may be used in the restoring the damaged genetic pool of A.m.mellifera in Russia and other northern countries.

Ilyasov, R., Lim, S., Lee, M. L., Kwon, H. W., Nikolenko, A. (2021). Effect of miticides amitraz and fluvalinate on reproduction and productivity of honey bee Apis mellifera. Uludag Bee Journal (Uludağ Arıcılık Dergisi), 21(1), 21-30. doi: 10.31467/uluaricilik.883775.
ABSTRACT. Varroa destructor is a well-known ectoparasite of the honey bee Apis mellifera. Amitraz and fluvalinate are highly effective miticides used against V. destructor infestation in colonies of honey bee A. mellifera. Though honey bees more resistant to miticides, there are side effects of these chemicals on the reproduction, olfaction, and honey production of honey bees. We showed a negative impact of miticides amitraz and fluvalinate on honey production and reproduction of honey bee colonies. Also, we assumed the reduction of olfaction of honey bees by fluvalinate due to changes of expression of olfactory related neuropeptide genes short neuropeptide F sNPF, tachykinin TK, short neuropeptide F receptor sNPFR. The external treatment of honey bee colonies by miticides amitraz and fluvalinate along with a positive effect of pest control harms reproductivity, honey productivity, and, probably, can reduce learning and memory, gustation and olfaction of honey bees. When used for a short time and with care, miticides can be less harmful to honey bees. Breeding varroa-resistant honey bees allow to reduce the use of miticides and produce organic honey. Therefore, the further development of beekeeping should be in the direction of selection for disease and Varroa resistance and adaptation to the environment

Momeni, J., Parejo, M., Nielsen, R.O., Langa, J., Montes, I., Ilyasov, R., et al., 2021. Authoritative subspecies diagnosis tool for European honey bees based on ancestry informative SNPs. BMC Genomics 22 (1), 101. doi: 10.1186/s12864-021-07379-7.
With numerous endemic subspecies representing four of its five evolutionary lineages, Europe holds a large fraction of Apis mellifera genetic diversity. This diversity and the natural distribution range have been altered by anthropogenic factors. The conservation of this natural heritage relies on the availability of accurate tools for subspecies diagnosis. Based on pool-sequence data from 2145 worker bees representing 22 populations sampled across Europe, we employed two highly discriminative approaches (PCA and FST) to select the most informative SNPs for ancestry inference. Results: Using a supervised machine learning (ML) approach and a set of 3896 genotyped individuals, we could show that the 4094 selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) provide an accurate prediction of ancestry inference in European honey bees. The best ML model was Linear Support Vector Classifier (Linear SVC) which correctly assigned most individuals to one of the 14 subspecies or different genetic origins with a mean accuracy of 96.2% ± 0.8 SD. A total of 3.8% of test individuals were misclassified, most probably due to limited differentiation between the subspecies caused by close geographical proximity, or human interference of genetic integrity of reference subspecies, or a combination thereof. Conclusions: The diagnostic tool presented here will contribute to a sustainable conservation and support breeding activities in order to preserve the genetic heritage of European honey bees. Keywords: Apis mellifera, European subspecies, Conservation, Machine learning, Prediction, Biodiversity
С многочисленными эндемичными подвидами, представляющими четыре из пяти эволюционных линий, Европа обладает значительной долей генетического разнообразия Apis mellifera. Это разнообразие и естественный ареал распространения были изменены антропогенными факторами. Сохранение этого природного наследия зависит от наличия точных инструментов для диагностики подвидов. Основываясь на данных пула последовательностей от 2145 рабочих пчел, представляющих 22 популяции, отобранные по всей Европе, мы использовали два высокодискриминационных подхода (PCA и FST) для выбора наиболее информативных SNP для определения происхождения. Результаты: Используя подход контролируемого машинного обучения (ML) и набор из 3896 генотипированных особей, мы смогли показать, что 4094 выбранных однонуклеотидных полиморфизма (SNP) обеспечивают точное предсказание происхождения происхождения европейских медоносных пчел. Лучшей моделью ML был линейный классификатор опорных векторов (Linear SVC), который правильно отнес большинство людей к одному из 14 подвидов или различному генетическому происхождению со средней точностью 96,2% ± 0,8 SD. В общей сложности 3,8% испытуемых были неправильно классифицированы, скорее всего, из-за ограниченной дифференциации между подвидами, вызванной географической близостью, или вмешательством человека в генетическую целостность эталонных подвидов, или их комбинацией. Выводы. Представленный здесь диагностический инструмент будет способствовать устойчивому сохранению и поддержке селекционной деятельности с целью сохранения генетического наследия европейских медоносных пчел. Ключевые слова: Apis mellifera, европейский подвид, сохранение, машинное обучение, прогнозирование, биоразнообразие.

Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Malaysian monofloral honey samples—acacia, pineapple and borneo honey—and compare them with tualang honey. Acacia and pineapple honey are produced by Apis mellifera bees while borneo and tualang honey are produced by Apis cerana and Apis dorsata bees, respectively. Methods The physical parameters of honey, such as pH, moisture content, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), color intensity, total sugar and apparent sucrose content, were measured. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was measured using high performance liquid chromatography, and a number of biochemical and antioxidant tests were performed to determine the antioxidant properties of the honey samples. Results Acacia honey was the most acidic (pH 3.53), whereas pineapple honey had the lowest moisture content (14.86%), indicating that both types of honey can resist microbial spoilage more effectively when...

Ильясов, Р.А., Марсова, М.В., Ковтун, А.С., Ватлин, А.А., Юнес, Р.А., Гайфуллина, Л.Р., Каскинова, М.Д., Квон, Х.В., Николенко, А.Г., Даниленко, В.Н., 2021. Роль микробиома кишечника медоносных пчел. Пчеловодство (7), 18-20. (Ilyasov, R.A., Marsova, M.V., Kovtun, A.S., Vatlin, A.A., Yunes, R.A., Gaifullina, L.R., Kaskinova, M.D., Kwon, H.W., Nikolenko, A.G., Danilenko, V.N., 2021. Role of the gut microbiome of the honeybee. Russian Journal of Beekeeping "Pchelovodstvo" (7), 18-20.)
Аннотация. Микробиом кишечника медоносной пчелы Apis mellifera содержит ограниченное количество эволюционно сформировавшихся представителей грамотрицательных (роды Apibacter, Bartonella, Commensalibacter, Gilliamella, Parasaccharibacter, Saccharibacter, Serratia, Snodgrassella, Frischella) и грамположительных бактерий (роды Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium). Их функции и значимость для отдельной особи и локальной популяции являются в последнее время предметом исследований лабораторий во всем мире. Наш интерес к изучению микробиома кишечника пчелы обусловлен их антимикробным, иммуномодулирующим, нейромодулирующим потенциалом. Лактобактерии и бифидобактерии являются классическими представителями пробиотических бактерий. Их использование в качестве пробиотиков, парапробиотиков, постбиотиков, ингридиентов в фармокологических препаратах и персонализированных продуктах питания постоянно расширяется. До настоящего времени микробиом кишечника медоносной пчелы не использовался в качестве источника пробиотиков. Полный метагеномный анализ микробиома, с использованием алгоритмов поиска заданных генов и их комбинаций, позволяет быстро и эффективно отбирать перспективные штаммы бактерий. Последующие геномный, транскриптомный, протеомный и метаболомный анализы позволяют отобрать наиболее приемлемые в практическом отношении штаммы. В перспективе, предлагаемая технологическая платформа, отработанная на удобном модельном объекте A. mellifera, позволит использовать ее и на других животных объектах.
Abstract. Our interest in the study of the gut microbiome of the honey bees is due to its antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, neuromodulatory potential. Lactobacteria and bifidobacteria are the classic probiotic bacteria. Their use as probiotics, paraprobiotics, postbiotics, pharmaceutical ingredients and personalized food products is constantly expanding. Until now, the honeybee gut microbiome has not been used as a source of probiotics. A complete metagenomic analysis of the microbiome, using algorithms for searching for specified genes and their combinations, makes it possible to quickly and efficiently select promising strains of bacteria. Subsequent genomic, transcriptome, proteomic, and metabolomic analyzes make it possible to select the most practically acceptable strains. In the future, the proposed technological platform, tested at a convenient model of the honey bee, allows it to be used on other animals. Keywords: Apis mellifera, Lactobacillus, honey bee, gut microbiome, lactic acid bacteria, xenobiotics and pesticides, detoxification.

Prevalence of honeybee viral diseases has recently been causing major problems in the beekeeping industry, causing economic losses worldwide. Honeybees are sus‐ ceptible to a variety of diseases and various pathogens. Among these pathogens, prevalence viruses, along with other factors, are seriously threatening the health of bee species. In the present study, samples were collected from 80 Apis cerana cerana (A. c. cerana) colonies from three different locations, Cangshan, Fuan, and Yongtai, in the Fujian Province of China. All samples were screened using the reverse transcrip‐ tion polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) method for detection of seven honeybee viruses, namely, Chinese sacbrood virus (CSBV), deformed wing virus (DWV), Isreal acute paralysis virus (IAPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), and Kashmir bee virus (KBV). Our results showed that CSBV was the most prevalent as it was detected in (90%), of the sam‐ ples, DWV was detected in (81.25%), and IAPV was detected in (26.25%). In contrast, insignificant prevalence results were obtained from all apiaries for BQCV, CBPV, APBV, and KBV, which were not detected in any sample. Here, we are providing the first report on the molecular detection of honeybee viruses, especially the preva‐ lence of IAPV, from different regions in the Fujian Province of China with a high prevalence of bee viruses, on A. c. cerana, and there is great concern for the presence of honeybee viruses in the population of the native honeybee (A. c. cerana) in China.

The sequences of the complete mitochondrial genome of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. subspecies Apis mellifera caucasia Pollmann, 1889 (AP018404, 16 341 bp) and Apis mellifera carpathica Foti et al., 1965 (AP018403, 16 336 bp) are sequenced for the first time. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of both subspecies contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and one AT-rich regulatory region. The ratio of transitions to transversions (tr/tv) in complete mtDNA between A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica was 2.05, which reflects the formation of adaptations to changing environmental conditions. Genes with the highest GC content—COX1 (24%), COX2 (19.6%), CYTB (19.1%), COX3 (17.2%), and ND1 (17.2%)—can be highly polymorphic and can be used in phylogenetic and population studies of bees. The majority of mtDNA genes of both subspecies are located on the heavy strand (9 protein-coding genes and 14 tRNA genes), while other genes (4 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 8 tRNA g...

Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical and antioxidant properties of Malaysian monofloral honey samples—acacia, pineapple and borneo honey—and compare them with tualang honey. Acacia and pineapple honey are produced by Apis mellifera bees while borneo and tualang honey are produced by Apis cerana and Apis dorsata bees, respectively. Methods The physical parameters of honey, such as pH, moisture content, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), color intensity, total sugar and apparent sucrose content, were measured. Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) was measured using high performance liquid chromatography, and a number of biochemical and antioxidant tests were performed to determine the antioxidant properties of the honey samples. Results Acacia honey was the most acidic (pH 3.53), whereas pineapple honey had the lowest moisture content (14.86%), indicating that both types of honey can resist microbial spoilage more effectively when...

Ilyasov R.A., Farkhutdinov R.G. Chapter 2. Herbal Dietary Supplement with Antifungal Effect for Increasing the Productivity of Honey Bee Colonies. In: Honeybees: biology, behavior and benefits, Editor: Daniaele Dreesen. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2016. P. 15-22. ISBN: 978-1-63484-051-4 (e-book edition). ISBN: 978-1-63484-037-8 (hardcopy edition). 149 pp.
The advantages of using for feeding the honey bees by sugar syrup with ethanol extract from 15 medicinal plants were presented in the article. This extract has immunomodulatory effect on honey bees and has antifungal activity against pathogenic fungus Ascosphaera apis. Feeding by sugar syrup with the extract was led to a stability of wintering, was increased a productivity of honey and eggs in comparison with the control group. Antifungal activity of the extract against ascosphaerosis was similar with activity of the nystatin. Immunomodulatory effect of the extract on honey bees was similar with effect of Rhodiola rosea.

Ильясов Р.А., Хан Г.Ю., Ли М.Л., Ким К.В., Парк Д.Х., Такахаши Д.И., Квон Х.В., Николенко А.Г. Эволюционные взаимоотношения кавказской и карпатской популяций медоносной пчелы. Часть 2. Пчеловодство, 4, 2021. С. 16-20. (Ilyasov R.A., Han G.Y., Lee M.L., Kim K.W., Park J.H., Takahashi J.I., Kwon H.W., Nikolenko A.G. Evolutionary relationships of caucasian Apis mellifera caucasia and carpathian Apis mellifera carpathica poplations of the honey bee. Part 2. Russian Journal of Beekeeping "Pchelovodstvo", Issue 4, 2021. P. 16-20.)
Впервые секвенированы оследовательности полного митохондриального генома подвидов пчел Apis mellifera caucasia Pollmann, 1889 (AP018404, 16341 п.н.) и Apis mellifera carpathica Foti et al., 1965 (AP018403, 16336 п.н.). Митохондриальные ДНК (мтДНК) обоих подвидов содержат 13 кодирующих белок генов, 22 гена тРНК, 2 гена рРНК и AT-обогащенную регуляторную область. Отношение транзиций к трансверсиям tr/tv полной мтДНК между A. m. caucasia и A. m. carpathica соответствует 2,05, что характеризует формирование адаптаций к сменяющимся условиям среды обитания. Гены с наибольшим содержанием GC — COX1, COX2, CYTB, COX3 и ND1 могут быть высокополиморфны и использованы в филогенетических и популяционных исследованиях пчел. Большинство генов мтДНК обоих подвидов расположены на тяжелой цепи и меньшее количество — на легкой цепи. Кластерный анализ последовательности полной мтДНК и оценка структуры межгенной области тРНК-Leu(UUR)-COX2 с единственным элементом Q размером 192 п.н. показали, что A. m. caucasia и A. m. carpathica являются представителями линии C с гаплотипами C2 и C2j соответственно. Указанные подвиды можно дифференцировать друг от друга по 34 уникальным SNP в 11 генах мтДНК и маркеру рестрикции XbaI в гене ND5. Эти генетические маркеры могут способствовать сохранению чистопородных генофондов A. m. caucasia и A. m. carpathica в пределах их естественного ареала. Ключевые слова: Apis mellifera, подвиды пчел, A. m. caucasia, A. m. carpathica, митохондриальный геном, мтДНК, гаплотипы, консервативная генетика.
The sequences of the complete mitochondrial genome of the honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera caucasia Pollmann, 1889 (AP018404, 16341 bp) and Apis mellifera carpathica Foti et al., 1965 (AP018403, 16336 bp) were first sequenced. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of both subspecies contains 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 1 AT-rich regulatory region. The ratio of transitions to transversions tr/tv in complete mtDNA between A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica was 2.05, which characterizes the formation of adaptations to changing environmental conditions. Genes with the highest GC content — COX1 (24%), COX2 (19.6%), CYTB (19.1%), COX3 (17.2%) and ND1 (17.2%) can be highly polymorphic and used in phylogenetic and population studies of bees. Most of mtDNA genes for both subspecies are located on the heavy chain (9 protein coding genes and 14 tRNA genes) and fewer genes (4 protein coding genes, 2 rRNA genes and 8 tRNA genes) are located on the light chain. Cluster analysis of the complete mtDNA sequence and assessment of the structure of the tRNA-Leu(UUR)-COX2 intergenic region with a single Q element of 192 bp showed that both subspecies A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica are representatives of the line C with haplotypes C2 and C2j, respectively. Subspecies of the honey bee A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica can be differentiated from each other by 34 unique SNPs in 11 mtDNA genes and the XbaI restriction marker in the ND5 gene. These genetic markers can contribute to the preservation of purebred gene pools of honey bee subspecies A. m. caucasia and A. m. carpathica within their natural range. Keywords: Apis mellifera, honeybee subspecies, A. m. caucasia, A. m. carpathica, mitochondrial genome, mtDNA, haplotypes, conservation genetics.