Seperating Pollintor Bees of the Tribe Anthophorini (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Available at the ‘Iranian Museum of Pollinator Insects’ in Yasouj University, using Geometric Morphometric Method

Abstract

Abstract In this study, specimens of pollinator bees of tribe Anthophorini available in the ‘Iranian Museum of Pollinator Insects’, located at the Faculty of Agriculture, Yasouj University were studied. In order to perform geometric morphometric analysis, firstly specimens identified to species level. Then after final determinations, five species of bees related to three genera of Anthophora، Amegilla and Habropoda including: Amegilla quadrifasciata, Anthophora (Melea) yasoujensis, Habropoda tarsata, Anthophora (Lophanthophora) agama and Anthophora (Pyganthophora) rogenhoferi, were examined by method of geometric morphometric. In this study, 122 specimens including 53 female and 69 male, were examined. Thus, after digital photography and setting of landmarks on the node of wings by using the software Tps Dig version 2.1, output files were used in MorphoJ software, and finally analysis procedure was performed. These final outputs then would enter in software PAST version 2.17, and these later outputs were demonstrated as a tree. Therefore, the separation was carried out in three taxa levels of the, genus, subgenus and species. Results indicated that geometric morphometric method is an effective practical method and useful method with high coincidence with morphologic characters in segregating specimens of all three taxa mentioned level and is a powerful tool in separating taxa of theses bees.

Keywords

• Geometric Morphometric
• Pollinator Bees
• Anthophorini
• PAST
• MorphoJ