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\ravailable in South Gujarat was carried out at Bio-control Laboratory, Department of\rEntomology, N.M. College of Agriculture, N. A. U., Navsari. For the purpose, worker\rbees were collected from seven district of the south Gujarat and dissected for studying\rthe morphological variations if any by measuring different fifteen body parts. The\rsignificant variations were observed in to all body parts except tongue length and\rnumber of hamuli in bees collected from different districts of south Gujarat. The mean\rbody length of T. laeviceps varied from 3.50 mm (Dang) to 3.88 mm (Narmada) with\ran average of 3.67 mm; head length varied from 0.72 mm (Valsad) to 1.01 mm (Bharuch)\rwith an average of 0.84 mm, antennal length varied from 1.62 mm (Valsad) to 1.88\rmm (Bharuch) with an average of 1.72 mm, tongue length varied from 1.11 mm\r(Bharuch) to 1.12 mm (Narmada) with an average of 1.11 mm, thorax length varied\rfrom 1.35 mm (Bharuch) to 1.78 mm (Narmada) with an average of 1.45 mm and\rthorax breadth varied from 1.30 mm (Navsari) to 1.41 mm (Narmada) with an average\rof 1.37 mm, forewing length 2.79 mm (Tapi) to 3.31 mm (Bharuch) with an average of\r3.09 mm and forewing breadth varied from 0.96 mm (Tapi) to 1.21 mm (Surat) with an\raverage of 1.10 mm, hindwing length was varied from 2.06 mm (Dang) to 2.37 mm\r(Navsari) with an average of 2.21 mm and hindwing breadth 0.50 mm (Valsad and\rTapi) to 0.71 mm (Narmada) with an average of 0.56 mm, extent of hamuli varied\rfrom 0.14 mm (Dang) to 0.17 mm (Narmada) with an average of 0.15 mm, hindleg\rlength varied from 3.32 mm (Dang) to 3.95 mm (Navsari) with an average of 3.52 mm\rand hindleg breadth varied from 0.29 mm (Narmada) to 0.46 mm (Navsari) with an\raverage of 0.39 mm and abdomen length varied from 1.30 mm (Dang) to 1.70 mm\r(Bharuch) with an average of 1.44 mm.