Genetic variability in the population of the endemic bee Anthophora pauperata in St Katherine Protectorate

Abstract

The genetic diversity and spatial genetic population structure of the solitary bee Anthophora pauperata Walker 1871, a species endemic to St Katherine Protectorate, were studied by RAPD markers in seven wadis in the St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt. High levels of genetic diversity were found, mostly within rather than among wadis, but there were highly significant genetic differences among sites, unrelated to geographic distances between them. Reasons for these patterns may lie in the territoriality and mating behaviour of these bees.

Keywords: genetic differentiation, gene flow, RAPD

Egyptian Journal of Biology Vol. 10 2008: pp. 77-86