16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing of culturable surface bacteria from Italian honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) worker bees
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) carry diverse microbial communities on their body surface that are involved in host-microbe interactions and colony health. This study isolated and characterized the culturable surface bacteria of the Italian honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica). Six foraging worker bees were collected from a single healthy colony at the experimental apiary of Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China) on 13 May 2026. Surface microbes were swabbed from the head, thorax, abdomen and appendages, plated on BHI agar and incubated for 48 h; colonies were purified by successive streaking. Genomic DNA of six purified cultures was subjected to 16S rRNA gene (V4 region) high-throughput amplicon sequencing on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform (250 bp paired-end). These data were used to assess the taxonomic composition, alpha and beta diversity, and predicted functions of the cuticular microbial community. The project provides baseline sequence data for honey bee surface microbiome research and colony health management.