关键词: Apis cerana cerana, genetic differentiation, environmental adaptation, physiological metabolism, genetic mechanism, climatic factors

Abstract:  Apis cerana cerana is a critical and important pollinator in China. This bee species has a wide distribution in various habitats, and exhibits several advantages as pollinator, e.g., agility in flight, long nectar gathering period and strong adaptability. However, in recent years, A. c. cerana has been facing an unprecedented decline in population diversity. In order to protect the genetic resources of these specific populations, researchers studied the physiology and mechanism of genetic differentiation and environmental adaptation in A. c. cerana based on geometric morphology, molecular biology and genomics technologies. Meanwhile, the diverse populations of A. c. cerana in China provided rich materials for analyzing their adaptive evolution. In this article, we summarized the research progress from the four aspects: The correlation between population genetic differentiation and environmental changes, the morphological variation and environmental adaptation, the enviroment-adaptive physiological and behavioral changes, and the genetic mechanisms behind these phenotypic changes of A. c. cerana populations. Previous studies showed that changes in physical barriers and ecological environment, especially those related to altitude and latitude, were the main reasons for the differentiation of A. c. cerana populations. Among the climatic factors, temperature, oxygen, radiation and humidity had important effects on the morphological development and eco-physiological traits of A. c. cerana. The morphological changes were mainly explained by variation in body size and color. Changes in metabolic physiology and behaviors have been evolved as a crucial adaption strategy. Population genetics and genomics based on modern genomics and molecular biology techniques showed that genes and pathways related to social division of labor, learning and perceiving behavior, information perception, growth and development, thermal adaptation and metabolism are subject to natural selection. These findings provide molecular evidence for the ability of A. c. cerana to adapt to different habitats and the evolution of bee species. However, the specific molecular evolution mechanisms for the environmental adaption of bees await further investigation. Our review on the mechanisms of genetic differentiation and environmental adaption of A. c. cerana will deepen our understanding of the evolutionary history and genetic diversity of ancient bee species, and lay a foundation for further studies on the adaptive mechanisms of social insects to different environments and the development of effective conservation strategies.