<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> Here we performed a morphometric analysis of dwarf honey bee (Apis florea F.) workers from Saudi Arabia, and we detected morphometric variations within the species in the Jubail and Al-Ahsa provinces of this region. Between the two provinces, Jubail is further north and is closer to sea level, and data showed that during the collection period, Jubail experienced significantly higher humidity. Compared to workers from the Jubail province, workers from Al-Ahsa province showed significantly higher body weight, measured head appendage characteristics, wing characteristics (apart from hindwing width), leg characteristics, and length and width of the 3rd abdominal sternite and 1st wax mirror. Body weight as found to be significantly positively correlated with all determined characteristics, except for flagellum length, hindwing width, 3rd tergite length, and lengths of the 4th tergite and sternite. It can be concluded that body weight and morphometric characteristics of dwarf honey bee workers were significantly affected by geographic origin. The morphometric measurements were within the range reported from most previously examined countries.</abstract>

Here we performed a morphometric analysis of dwarf honey bee (Apis florea F.) workers from Saudi Arabia, and we detected morphometric variations within the species in the Jubail and Al-Ahsa provinces of this region. Between the two provinces, Jubail is further north and is closer to sea level, and data showed that during the collection period, Jubail experienced significantly higher humidity. Compared to workers from the Jubail province, workers from Al-Ahsa province showed significantly higher body weight, measured head appendage characteristics, wing characteristics (apart from hindwing width), leg characteristics, and length and width of the 3rd abdominal sternite and 1st wax mirror. Body weight as found to be significantly positively correlated with all determined characteristics, except for flagellum length, hindwing width, 3rd tergite length, and lengths of the 4th tergite and sternite. It can be concluded that body weight and morphometric characteristics of dwarf honey bee workers were significantly affected by geographic origin. The morphometric measurements were within the range reported from most previously examined countries.

Morphometric Studies on Dwarf Honey Bee Apis Florea F. Workers in Saudi Arabia

Department of Arid Land Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia

Deptartment of Economic Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University,Kafrelsheikh, Egypt

Journal of Apicultural Science

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

{"article-title":"Morphometric Studies on Dwarf Honey Bee Apis Florea F. Workers in Saudi Arabia"}

Here we performed a morphometric analysis of dwarf honey bee (Apis florea F.) workers from Saudi Arabia, and we detected morphometric variations within the...

Morphometric Studies on Dwarf Honey Bee Apis Florea F. Workers in Saudi Arabia

Published Online: May 27, 2014

Page range: 127 - 134

Received: Sep 26, 2013

Accepted: Apr 16, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2014-0013

Keywords
Apis florea, dwarf honey bee, morphometric, Saudi Arabia

© by El-Kazafy A. Taha

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Morphometric Studies on Dwarf Honey Bee Apis Florea F. Workers in Saudi Arabia

Published Online: May 27, 2014

Page range: 127 - 134

Received: Sep 26, 2013

Accepted: Apr 16, 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jas-2014-0013

KeywordsApis florea, dwarf honey bee, morphometric, Saudi Arabia

© by El-Kazafy A. Taha

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Keywords
Apis florea, dwarf honey bee, morphometric, Saudi Arabia