Comparative Analysis of Differentiation of the Albanian Bee Population Made by the Wings Traits and Other Morphological Traits

Manjola Kulici

doi:10.55549/ephels.25

Abstract

This study treats a comparative analysis of local differentiation of Albanian bee population according to 12 front wing traits and 18 other traits. To conduct this study, were used evaluations for the averages of these morphological traits measured in 3600 honey bees, in 60 different regions, scattered in all the place territory. The measurement of 30 traits was done using Scan Photo Technique (SPT). Local differentiation that was obtained in Albanian bee population by its front wing traits is not great. This differentiation does not explain by the phenomenon of isolation in distance. Human interventions in the bee population, made over the past fifteen years have brought significant changes in the morphological variations of the morphological traits. By increasing the number of morphological traits was best evidenced the local differentiation of Albanian bee. Populations were approximately grouped in three groups according to climatic zones: subpopulations group in the north east region; the subpopulations group in the field coastal area and the subpopulations group in central and east Albania. Such a differentiation of our bee population can be a consequence of the phenomena of “differentiation in distance” or the effects of genes exchanges.

Highlights

IntroductionBeekeeping is spread all over the country and the number has tripled in the last 20 years
We focused on the morphological traits of the honey bee
The local differentiation in the Albanian bee population according to the forewing traits is not great

Summary

Introduction

Beekeeping is spread all over the country and the number has tripled in the last 20 years. There are large parks stabilized in bees, with a number of hives over 100 or even over 300, but the dominant part in Albania is occupied by amateur beekeepers who keeps up to 20 hives. Our aim in this paper was to study the local differentiation of honeybee populations in Albania. We focused on the morphological traits of the honey bee. These bodily traits can be measured for a variety of reasons. Their main use is to characterize the honeybee breeds and to determine the degree of hybridization with foreign breeds (Ruttner, 1978; Meixner et al 2007; Radloff et al 2003; Bienefeld et al, 1996) and local differentiation of bee populations

Methods

Results

Conclusion