Integrative taxonomy and distribution of Apis species in Malaysia

Abstract

Southeast Asia is the centre of diversification for honey bees (genus Apis). Hence, accurate identification of honey bees found here is instrumental in paving the way for studying evolutionary relationships, biogeographic patterns, and management of these key pollinators. In this study, we characterized Apis species diversity across peninsular Malaysia and Borneo Malaysia using an integrative approach combining morphological traits and mitochondrial markers (CO1 and 16S rRNA). Field collections included both managed and wild colonies of A. mellifera, A. cerana, A. dorsata, A. florea, and A. andreniformis from peninsular Malaysia, as well as two additional cavity-nesting species of Borneo A. koschevnikovi and A. nuluensis. Species identification was performed based on morphological features, nesting ecology, and subsequently validated through sequencing. Samples collected from peninsular Malaysia showed congruence between field/morphological and molecular identification. In contrast, cavity-nesting bees from Borneo exhibited overlapping morphological characteristics leading to misidentification of species. These findings suggest the reliability of carrying out field-based identification of honey bees in peninsular Malaysia but requires molecular validation for Borneo region. The limitations of morphology-based interpretation for Borneo cavity-nesting bees highlights the need for more population-level and speciation studies on these species.