Morphometrie research of worker honey bees in the Republic of Chuvashia

Abstract

The article provides the results of identification of morphological features of worker honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) on apiaries of the Republic of Chuvashia. Selection of bees of summer generation served as the material. Sample number was 640 from 16 bee-families of three districts of the forest-steppe and steppe bee pastures (Margaushsky, Krasnoarmeysky - a forest-steppe zone; Batyrevsky district- a steppe zone). Assessment was carried out by the standard technique during which 15 characteristics were measured. The research has revealed the presence of potential for preservation of the Central Russian breed of bee population in Chuvashia. The decrease in the minimum indicator of the tergite length (4.10 - 4.84 mm) registered in Morgaushsky district beyond the bounds of the standard (4.5-5.1 mm) of the Central Russian breed doesn’t demonstrate the processes of hybridization as this fact is the only one and, perhaps, is explained by some random factors influencing biophysiological processes. The presence of diversity (within the Apis mellifera mellifera L. breed standard) by the coefficients of variation distinguishes the bees of this population by heterogeneity and, evidently, characterizes the presence of a subpopulation structure in a given territory.

Keywords

• worker bees
• morphometric characteristics
• central russian breed of bees
• tergite