ABSTRACT
Apis florea is phylogenetically the most basal species compared to other species of honeybees. Together with other species of honeybees, Apis florea has been the backbone of global food production through its several ecosystem services including pollination. However, knowledge of Apis florea is rather limited compared to other species such as Apis mellifera for various reasons. Greater genetic diversity has been documented both at individual and population levels, which contributes to the fitness and survival of the species against various biotic and abiotic stresses in the environment. The genetic diversity in the form of genome-wide allelic polymorphism has been displayed. These genetic variations have been captured either as difference in the size of the DNA fragments generated through PCR or through sequencing of various genetic regions, especially that of the mitochondrial genes. Apis florea exhibits its identity for various morphological, physiological and genetic parameters compared to other species. Principle component analysis (PCA) of morphometric traits of Apis populations that are geographically isolated help researchers to understand the divergence and population parameters of Apis florea. Phylogenetic clustering points to the existence of subpopulations with varied levels of genetic relatedness over geographic regions. The purpose of this review is to compile and compare the existing knowledge on this important species of Apis.
