Comparative Morphological Analysis of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.) from the Western and Central Black Sea Region, with Emphasis on Natural Diversity

Year 2023, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 25 - 35, 31.07.2023

Ahmet Kuvancı , Şeref Cınbırtoğlu , Aziz Gül , Gökhan Akdeniz , İsmail Eren Belgin Günbey , Samet Okuyan , Selim Bıyık , Abdurrahman Aydın Gökhan Kavak , Gülden Ayvaz Baykal Ahmet Güler

Abstract

Due to migratory beekeeping and nationwide sales of queens and colonies, genetic mixes are a major concern. Nonetheless, providing beekeepers with quality breeding material will boost production. Two hundred colonies were chosen from the Western and Central Black Sea Region, specifically from Düzce, Kastamonu, Sinop, and Ordu. These colonies were selected from locations where migratory beekeeping is not practiced, and the beekeeping firms involved have abstained from using commercial queen bees for three generations, between 2014 and 2022. Each sample has 10 worker bees with 41 morphometric measures. The local bee genotype was compared to Caucasian, Anatolian, and Yığılca genotypes, whose comprehensive morphological traits were known. Four local bee genotypes differed significantly (P<0.05) in 39 morphological features. These four bee genotypes clustered into three function value groups. With 98.9% accuracy, the 271 worker bee samples from the four genotypes were categorized in respective fields. Anticipated were strong morphological similarities between worker bee samples from the nearby regions of Yığılca and WCBS. The Caucasian bee subspecies, along with the other three genotypes, had a significant level of morphological likeness and overlap. Selection may affect qualitative characters (color, etc.) like quantitative characters across generations. Protect, generate, and provide breeding material with better productivity, wintering capacity, and morphology.

Keywords

Subspecies, Genotype, Morphology

Supporting Institution

General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies

Project Number

TAGEM/HAYSÜD/Ü/19/A4/P4/2282

Thanks

This study is a part of the “Batı ve Orta Karadeniz Bal arılarının Islahı” (Breeding of Western and Central Black Sea Honeybees) project and supported by General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies, with the TAGEM/HAYSÜD/Ü/19/A4/P4/2282 project number.

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