Bringing back black bees: investigating the genomic and phenotypic basis of local adaptation in the black honey bee Apis mellifera mellifera

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Insect pollination of food crops contributes 153 billion euros to the economy annually. Honey bees are key commercial pollinators but they are currently negatively affected by habitat loss, disease, and agrochemicals. The many native ecotypes and subspecies of honey bee across Europe are also threatened by introgression from commercial varieties due to stock movements associated with drives for increased economic performance. Native to the UK, the black honey bee Apis mellifera mellifera (Amm) is one such subspecies, preferentially managed by some beekeepers over imported sub-species. The maintenance of honey bee native diversity, specifically through locally adapted populations, is a crucial legacy for future generations but it currently remains poorly characterised in some areas of the UK. The project aims to: establish the extent of phenotypic local adaptation within and between local forms of UK Amm;investigate the genomic basis of local adaptation;pump-prime approaches to developing a long-term archive for current diversity.