Morphometric variation in workers of stingless bees Tetragonula laeviceps smith in south Gujarat

Abstract

The studies on the morphometric variations in workers of stingless bees T. laeviceps available in South Gujarat was carried out at Bio-control Laboratory, Department of Entomology, N.M. College of Agriculture, N. A. U., Navsari. For the purpose, worker bees were collected from seven district of the south Gujarat and dissected for studying the morphological variations if any by measuring different fifteen body parts. The significant variations were observed in to all body parts except tongue length and number of hamuli in bees collected from different districts of south Gujarat. The mean body length of T. laeviceps varied from 3.50 mm (Dang) to 3.88 mm (Narmada) with an average of 3.67 mm; head length varied from 0.72 mm (Valsad) to 1.01 mm (Bharuch) with an average of 0.84 mm, antennal length varied from 1.62 mm (Valsad) to 1.88 mm (Bharuch) with an average of 1.72 mm, tongue length varied from 1.11 mm (Bharuch) to 1.12 mm (Narmada) with an average of 1.11 mm, thorax length varied from 1.35 mm (Bharuch) to 1.78 mm (Narmada) with an average of 1.45 mm and thorax breadth varied from 1.30 mm (Navsari) to 1.41 mm (Narmada) with an average of 1.37 mm, forewing length 2.79 mm (Tapi) to 3.31 mm (Bharuch) with an average of 3.09 mm and forewing breadth varied from 0.96 mm (Tapi) to 1.21 mm (Surat) with an average of 1.10 mm, hindwing length was varied from 2.06 mm (Dang) to 2.37 mm (Navsari) with an average of 2.21 mm and hindwing breadth 0.50 mm (Valsad and Tapi) to 0.71 mm (Narmada) with an average of 0.56 mm, extent of hamuli varied from 0.14 mm (Dang) to 0.17 mm (Narmada) with an average of 0.15 mm, hindleg length varied from 3.32 mm (Dang) to 3.95 mm (Navsari) with an average of 3.52 mm and hindleg breadth varied from 0.29 mm (Narmada) to 0.46 mm (Navsari) with an average of 0.39 mm and abdomen length varied from 1.30 mm (Dang) to 1.70 mm (Bharuch) with an average of 1.44 mm. How to view point the article : Patel, H.K. and Pastagia, J.J. (2016). Morphometric variation in workers of stingless bees Tetragonula laeviceps smith in south Gujarat. Internat. J. Plant Protec., 9(2) : 445-449, DOI : 10.15740/HAS/IJPP/9.2/445-449.