| Apis mellifera pomonella | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Apis |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | A. m. pomonella |
| Trinomial name | |
| Apis mellifera pomonella Sheppard & Meixner, 2003[1] | |
Apis mellifera pomonella, theTien Shan honey bee, is a subspecies ofApis mellifera which is claimed to be theendemic honey bee of theTien Shan Mountains in Central Asia. It is a relatively large bee, only slightly smaller thanApis mellifera carnica, in general very similar in appearance toApis mellifera anatoliaca, but with comparatively short hair and short mouthparts.[1]
The name "pomonella" proposed by the researchers is derived from the Roman goddessPomona, the protector of gardens, fruit trees and orchards, associated with the flourishing of the fruit, not its harvesting.[2] The namePōmōna in turn comes from theLatin wordpōmus meaning fruit tree or fruit.[3] The region of the Tien Shan Mountain range is near the formerKazakhstan capital,Almaty, previously called Alma-Ata which means the “father of apples”; this area has been described as a "center of diversity" for wildMalus species,Malus sieversii (wild apples), which ourapple cultivars are descended from.[4]Apples areself-incompatible and requireinsect pollination which is typically provided by honey bees when grown as a commercial crop.[5][1]
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