Persistence of the Landes ecotype of Apis mellifera mellifera in southwest France: confirmation of a locally adaptive annual brood cycle trait

In 1966, an ecotype of honey bees in France was described as adapted to the local floral phenology. Colonies in the Landes region had a bimodal peak in annual colony brood cycle, one peak in early summer and one in autumn. This brood cycle was determined to be of genetic origin. While many beekeepers in this region cultivate the locally adapted bee, some beekeepers import stock from elsewhere in Europe. These importations led to concerns that the genetic character of the ecotype could be lost due to genetic introgression. We established two research apiaries in the center of the Landes region and measured brood area bi-weekly to assess colonies for the brood cycle trait. We observed the timing of drone production, and the timing and number of virgin queens produced. Brood cycle data from the current study were compared to data from the initial work on the Landes ecotype. Of the colonies tested, 48.3% had a brood cycle similar to the cycle described in 1966. Implications for conservation are discussed.