Abstract
Propolis collecting capacity of the honey bee race, Apis mellifera L., distributed across Anatolia and Thrace regions of Turkey was investigated and correlated with morphometric characteristics. Thus, the propolis collecting behaviour of honey bee races and ecotypes naturally have been in Turkey, Apis mellifera caucasica, Apis mellifera carnica, Apis mellifera syriaca and Yigilca and Mugla ecotype of Apis mellifera anatoliaca were monitored. The mean yield of annual propolis was recorded as the following; Yigilca ecotype (111.6±27.5 g colony) A. m. caucasica (104±20.7 g colony), Mugla ecotype (103±34 g colony), A. m. carnica (91.16±17.6 g colony), and A. m. syriaca (74±6.4 g colony) in descending order. The highest propolis collecting activity was recorded for the Yigilca ecotype of A. m. anatoliaca and A. m. caucasica. Morphological features of honey bee samples were evaluated by classic morphometric technique to correlate propolis collecting capability and morphological features. Morphometric results of the present study showed that the largest wing and leg lengths belonged to Yigilca ecotype of A. m. anatoliaca and A. m. caucasica. Furthermore, Pearson correlation showed a significant relationship between some morphometric characteristics including the proboscis and mandibular sections, wing length (WL), wing width (WW), femur length (FL), tibia length (TL), basitarsus length (BL), basitarsus width (BW), and propolis collecting capability (P<0.05). Therefore, it seems that the enlargement of certain morphological properties with genetic tendency of the honey bee races and ecotypes, primarily the legs and wings, can lead to better propolis collecting capability.
Highlights
Morphological differences in honey bee races have led to the most distinctive differences that are associated with pollen and propolis collecting behaviour (Winston 1991)
Propolis collecting capacity of three races (A. m. caucasica, A. m. syriaca, and A. m. carnica) and two ecotypes (Yığılca, Muğla ecotypes) of A. m. anatoliaca in the same apiary were compared during the same season to evaluate propolis collection capability
A. m. caucasica was found to have the largest size of the wing length (WL), tibia length (TL), LMW, and RMW, while the Yığılca ecotype of A. m. anatoliaca had the greatest length of the other 5 characters (WW, proboscis length (PL), femur length (FL), basitarsus length (BL), basitarsus width (BW), LML, RML) (Table 1)
Summary
Morphological differences in honey bee races have led to the most distinctive differences that are associated with pollen and propolis collecting behaviour (Winston 1991). The Relationships Between Propolis Collecting Capability and Morphometric Features of Some Honey..., Kekeçoğlu et al broadened hind legs are important morphological characters, especially for propolis collection behaviour (Michener 1974). Pollen and nectar collecting behaviours of honey bees have been shown by many studies to correlated with external structures consisting of brushes on the hind legs, corbiculum on hind tibia (Thorp 2000), and the mouthparts and proboscis (Michener et al 1978; Ajao et al 2014). The aim was to investigate the possible relationship between morphometric features (forewing, hind leg, mandible and proboscis dimensions) and the propolis collecting capability of these honeybee races and ecotypes. Few studies have been conducted far, on propolis collecting potential of different honey bees races, and there has been no study reported in the literature focusing on the relationship between phenotypic properties and propolis collecting to date
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