Royal jelly (RJ), a secretion of both the hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands of nurse workers, is believed to play a central role in honeybee queen development. Important component of royal jelly are proteins which form about 50% of the dry mass of RJ. Major royal jelly proteins (MRJPs) are the dominant proteinaceous component of royal jelly and constitute about 82-90% of total protein of royal jelly. One of these proteins is MRJP3(Major Royal Jelly Protein 3). that Intraperitoneal administration of AmMRJP3 inhibited the serum of immunized mice, indicating the clinical significance of the potent immunoregulatory effects of AmMRJP3. Nevertheless, So far No research has been done to identify the sequence of this gene in Iranian honey bee.The purpose of this study was to survey mutations in Sixth exon of mrjp3 gene in honey bee persion (Apis mellifera meda). On this basis, According to data from morphological variation of Apis mellifera meda, We chose nurse bees (< 10 days) from three colonies (Farm of Khorasgan University,Isfahan). were collected and stored at −80oC until needed. After studying gene, four primers were designed based on the OLIGO software information and NCBI site. Then DNA extraction and optimization of the reaction PCR, amplification products of MRJP3 gene were sequenced. According to the results of the sequencing of the NCBI website  and check with the software CLC Showed that the DNA and RNA sequences at Sixth exon be seen delesion and insersion in the persion  honeybee (Apis mellifera meda) that different with European honeybee (Apis mellifera L.). Added area are from 3222-3281 that seen in persion  bee but not seen in European honeybee. Delesion region  in Apis mellifera meda  is  from 3366-3368 that there is in Apis mellifera L. . it appears that this results is common in Isfahani bees. In general, The results of this study indicate, Isfahan bees with European bees are different from MRJP3 gene sequence.

There has been extensive ongoing research on honey bees over the last 100 years, mainly due to their vital role in society, particularly in agriculture, economics, food security, medicine, and even computing technologies. Our knowledge is growing faster than our ability to absorb it. The most common and prominent honey bee species in Iran is the western honey bee, Apis mellifera, which includes the Iranian honey bee, Carniolan, and Iranian × Carniolan hybrids. The objective of this study was to identify the effects of crossbreeding on population dynamics, egg-laying rate, propolis production, honey yields, pollen collection, and defensive behavior in Iranian (Apis mellifera meda) bees. In early March 2021 (the end of the colonies' wintering season), eight colonies of each of the three bee breeds were randomly selected and standardized based on honey and pollen storage, the number of brood frames, initial population, and hive type (Langstroth hives). The tested colonies did not receive any chemical treatments during the experiment. Data collection and recording of egg-laying rates and brood rearing were conducted weekly during spring 2021 at the Honey Bee Research Centre, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran (35.27788; 46.99562). Data quality control and analysis were performed using the SAS program. The results showed that Iranian × Carniolan hybrids were more efficient than the parental stocks in terms of population dynamics and pollen collection (p<0.05), indicating positive heterosis and complementarity between the breeds. Carniolan (Apis mellifera carnica) bees demonstrated significantly favorable performance for honey yields (p<0.05). Iranian (Apis mellifera meda) bees were superior in propolis production and exhibited higher levels of aggressiveness, significantly (p<0.05). Heterosis was estimated based on the superiority of observed phenotypes in the hybrids relative to their inbred parents. The estimated heterosis values were -3.8% for honey yields, 32.6% for pollen collection, 10.0% for egg-laying rate, 24.5% for population growth rate, -2.1% for propolis production, and -16.3% for aggressiveness. The highest level of phenotypic diversity was observed in the Iranian honey bee, suggesting the potential benefits of this breed for selection programs. Additionally, the findings revealed that the controlled use of higher-performance lines, either in pure or hybrid forms, will improve the efficiency of honey bee colonies and is recommended.

Nosemosis of European honey bee (Apis mellifera) is present in bee colonies world­wide. Until recently, Nosema apis had been regarded as the causative agent of the disease, that causes heavy economic losses in apicultures. Nosema ceranae is an emerging microsporidian para­site of European honeybees, A. mellifera, but its distribution is not well known. Previously, nosemosis in honeybees in Iran was attributed exclusively to N. apis. Six Nosema positive samples (determined from light microscopy of spores) of adult worker bees from one province of Iran (Savadkouh- Mazandaran, northern Iran) were tested to determine Nosema species using previously- developed PCR primers of the 16 S rRNA gene. As it is difficult to distinguish N. ceranae and N. apis morphologically, a PCR assay based on 16 S ribosomal RNA has been used to differentiate N. apis and N. ceranae. Only N. ceranae was found in all samples, indicating that this species present in Iran apiar­ies. This is the first report of N. ceranae in colonies of A. mellifera in Iran. It seems that intensive surveys are needed to determine the distribution and prevalence of N. ceranae in differ­ent regions of Iran.

Apis mellifera L. is the only species of bees found and seen every where in the world except poles. Fortunately, Iran has got an independent race Apis mellifera meda Skorikov, 1927 because of ecological situations, topographic, long history of beekeeping, having four seasons and its vastness. This research project was executed by collecting 900 young worker bees out of 30 colonies from the provinces comprises of North Khorasan, Golestan, Tehran, Zanjan and West Azarbayjan. Then, 16 morphological characteristics of each bee were measured up to 14400 data obtained. In ANOVA statistical surveys Duncan test was applied in which, each characteristics was evaluated and analyzed independently. However, length of hind leg and tongue had the highest diversity as the most distinctive morphological characteristics throughout the Iranian honey bee. Discriminant analysis showed that the five groups of project classified into two independent groups: The first group included the North west Azarbayjan , Zanjan and Tehran 2. North Khorasan and Golestan. The analysis demonstrated the highest uniformity of individual bees was found in North Khorasan bees (64%) and lowest uniformity in West Azarbayjan bees (%36). There was significant negative correlation between third and fourth dorsal abdominal segments, right and left hamuli number.

Honey is the nectar of living flowers which produced by honey bees (Apis mellifera). Honey could be used as an environmental pollution indicator and because of developing and industrialization of cities, levels of three metal elements were investigated in five regions of Chahar-mahale-Bakhtiary Province.
The amounts of Cadmium, Lead and Mercury for 75 honey samples were analyzed by potentiometric analyses. According to the results, mercury was not detected in all samples. Cadmium level was determined significantly higher (P

During a survey of gamasid mites associated with honey bees in Western Siberia (Tyumen region), Russia, Tropilaelaps mercedesae Anderson & Morgan was collected in hives of the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae). T. mercedesae was recently recorded in Central Asia, Uzbekistan. This finding in Russia indicates that the range of this dangerous ectoparasitic species is expanding.

Nosema apis is an obligate intracellular parasite belonging to phylum Microsporidia. This para site is known as main causative agent of nosemosis in honeybees especially in the European honeybee (Apis mellifera). Nosemosis can cause queen supersedure, reduction of honey yield and dwindling the population of honeybees. A total number of 54 apiaries were randomly sampled from April to July 2011 and April to July 2012 in North Khorasan province, Iran. Collected samples were examined for infection to N.apis. In the collected bees from 30 apiaries, any Nosema infection was not observed in spring 2011, while of 24 apiaries sampled in spring 2012, 12 (50%) apiaries were infected with N. apis. The seasonal rainfall of spring in 2012 in the study area was 53% higher than the same period of last year. It was concluded that there has been a direct relationship between rainfall and frequency of N. apis infection in apiaries of North Khorasan province.

Apis mellifera meda is one among those two dozen subspecies which are the most widely distributed in the world. While in our first description, its distribution is restricted to North Persia, Lencoron (on the Caspian Sea coast), in later studies it extends westward, to the north of Iraq and Syria, and to the southeastern parts of Turkey. To investigate the geographic variation and population structure of the honey bees of northern Iran that are among the least studied populations of Apis mellifera, samples were collected in the Alburz mountains, in the south of the Caspian Sea. A total of 46 colonies were sampled from six different locations (three in the highlands: Khanchay, Sefar, Zanjan; and three in the lowlands, Gholikandy, Gultepe and Duzteran Fig.1). Out of six enzymes assayed, four were found to be polymorphic (Pgm, Hk, Mdh, and Est) and two (Pgi and Me) displayed invariant banding patterns. Gene frequencies, enzyme heterozygosities and usefulness of gene frequencies to Hardy-Weinberg expectations were analyzed with the BIOSYS-1 package. The overall grand mean heterozygosity for all populations was calculated as 0.052±0.036. A Distance Wagner analysis based on the Prevosti distance divided the honey bee samples into two groups according to their origin from lowlands and highlands. Morphmetric variations of the colonies were assessed using parameters measured from hind and fore-wing and from legs. Different multivariate analyses were applied for the determination of different honey bee populations in the Alburz Mountains in Iran

Genetic diversity is a key component of ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic diversity of Iranian native honeybee colonies (Apis mellifera meda L.) located in the northern region. Colonies from 24 locations have been analyzed using microsatellite markers. Samples were collected from Caspian Sea southern area (north of Iran). Six microsatellite markers (A28, A29, A113, A24, A76, and A43) amplified them. Amplification was successful in four loci but not for A76 and A43. Polymorphism and diversity indices were high for all amplified loci and for total population. Average heterozygosity and average number of alleles were significantly high in these colonies. The phylogenies also revealed a genetic distance among colonies of this area. The results showed a reliable genetic diversity among Apis mellifera meda L. populations in the north of Iran (southern area of Caspian Sea). Based on the microsatellite genotypes, the honeybee population in the southern area of Caspian Sea can be clustered into two distinct subpopulations located in Gilan and Mazandaran area. These results support the previous morphological and biochemical evidences.

Varroosis is a disease of Apis mellifera L. caused by the mite Varroa destructor. V. destructor is a complex species and has two distinct Korean (K) and Japanese (J) genotypes. Different Varroa genotypes appear to be important regarding the virulence of mite. The aim of the present study was to identify the haplotypes of the Varroa destructor mite which infects honeybees (Apis mellifera) in honey bee colonies in Urmia, using PCR-RFLP techniques for the mitochondrial Cox1 gene of the mite. For this purpose, 200 mites were collected from apiaries in different regions of Urmia city. In order to confirm the haplotype, two specific primer pairs were selected. A segment of DNA genome comprising 570 bp of nuclotides have been selected and amplified using the primer pair. XhoI and SacI restriction enzymes were used for the amplified products. Although, the SacI restriction enzyme did not cut the DNA, the XhoI restriction enzyme cut the amplified DNA into two fragments (bands), with the sizes of 270 and 300 bp two bands. While comparing the results, these bands were found specific for Korean haplotype of V. destructor. In conclusion, all the 200 samples of V. destructor examined in this study were identified to be the Korean genotype. According to the results of this study, and the relationship between type of genotype and its pathogenicity, new treatment and control methods can be used in the apiaries of this region.