Apis mellifera in Mexico: honey production, melliferous flora and pollination aspects. Review

The honeybee, Apis mellifera, is a species that, since its introduction to Mexico, has had great social, cultural and economic importance, representing an important source of income for thousands of families who are engaged in beekeeping. However, in the context of the so-called "pollinator crisis", it is considered that we do not know how this phenomenon affects A. mellifera in Mexico. In review, it is analyzed and discussed the information about A. mellifera in Mexico related to the phenomena that affect its distribution, honey production and its ecology, including interactions with the local flora. In general, it is considered that there is a need for an integration of data on beekeeping at the national level, and that there are few studies on the ecology of A. mellifera in Mexico, from the flora they visit, their efficiency as a pollinator and competition with other native bee species. It is believed that increasing studies on A. mellifera will help to predict changes in honey production as well as understand and address threats to these pollinators, contributing to generate better management practices and establish better pollinator conservation strategies that include the presence of A. mellifera.