Mitochondrial discrimination of stingless bees Tetragonisca angustula (Apidae: Meliponini) from Santa Catarina state, Brazil

The stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula is a meliponini bee naturally distributed from Argentina to Mexico. Morphologically, based on the mesepisternum color, it is separated into T. angustula angustula and T. angustula fiebrigi subspecies. The objective of this study was to characterize the restriction site variation in the mitochondrial DNA of each subspecies. Samples of worker bees were collected from two regions of Santa Catarina state, known as having a natural distribution of each subspecies. Each of the 138 colonies collected in the distribution region of T. a. angustula and of 72 colonies from the region of T. a. fiebrigi was individually analyzed. The ATPases 8, 6 and COIII mitochondrial genes were amplified and digested with seven restriction enzymes (PCR + RFLP). Large genetic differences were observed among bees collected in both geographical areas of natural distribution for the T. angustula subspecies. Four enzymes showed different restriction patterns that allowed separation of the subspecies.