INVESTIGATION OF POLYANDRY IN HONEY BEES (APIS MELLIFERA) USING MICROSATELLITES

Polyandry is a specific phenomenon in insects, including honey bee, which provides an increase in genetic diversity. To analyze the level of polyandry and to assess the contribution of drones to the genetic diversity of honey bee colonies, three microsatellite loci (A008, Ap049, AC117) were studied in honey bees of different origin (Middle Russian race, Carpathian race, and hybrid forms) from Tomsk region. The analysis of maternal and paternal contributions to the genetic diversity of bee colonies showed that the percentage of the introduced paternal alleles in different families varied from 6.67 to 28.00%. The highest genetic diversity was characterized by hybrid colonies (25-28% introduced paternal alleles). The genetic diversity and its effect on the adaptive properties and economically valuable indicators depended not only on the level of polyandry, but also on the genetic characteristics of the families served as a "source" of new genetic material for bee colonies.