Determining the Relative Abundance of Honey Bee (Apis mellifera L.) Races in Kars Plateau and Evaluating Some of Their Characteristics

Abstract

Summary During June-July period 2009, 310 honeybee samples were collected from 32 different colonies in Kars Plateau. The majority of the samples (71.6%, n=222) were hybrid form of Apis mellifera. The ratio of Apis mellifera caucasica was 26.5% (n= 82) and only 1.9% (n=6) of samples were found to be A. mellifera remipes. Tarsi length, fore wing length, fore wing width, number of hamulus hind wing, femur length of hind leg, tibia length of hind leg, metatarsus length of hind length, metatarsus width of hind leg of A. mellifera caucasica and that of hybrid form of A. mellifera were measured and the measurements of those morphological characters of different subspecies were compared. In addition of the morphological traits, variation patterns of proteins bades on gel electrophoresis was measured from the two subspecies and their hybrids. Gel electro-phoresis patterns reveal that the total proteins of pure Caucasian race individuals from Ardahan and Kars were similar. On the other hand, the protein bands of pure Caucasian race individuals (66 kD, 45 kD, 29 kD and 18 kD) showed clear differences from that of hybrid individuals.