This week’s letter I is for iberiensis. The subspecies Apis mellifera iberiensis, also referred to as the Spanish honey bee, is native to the Iberian peninsula forming parts of Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar. A subspecies forms when a specific species adapts to an area and takes on distinctive traits that distinguish it from other subspecies. While different species are unable to reproduce, such as a dog and a cat, two subspecies of the same species can still reproduce. A subspecies is still a formal taxonomic designation, not to be confused a less formal designation like a breed or race.

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