Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Department of Animal and Poultry nutrition, Animal Science Faculty, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
2 Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition- Faculty of Animal Science- Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources-IRAN
3 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
Abstract
Objective: The honey bee, as one of the most important pollinators in agricultural and natural ecosystems, comprises 10 species belonging to the genus Apis, family Apidae, and order Hymenoptera. One of the most significant species is the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), which is now found in most parts of the world. One method for identifying them is through morphometric characteristics, which not only serve as a key tool in their classification but also show a significant correlation with colony performance, efficiency, and adaptation. The aim of this study was to compare the morphometric traits of the native Iranian honey bee (Apis mellifera meda) with the Buckfast hybrid (Apis mellifera buckfast) under the climatic conditions of Gorgan.
Method: The research was conducted at the honey bee breeding farm of Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in July 2025. Six colonies from each genotype were selected, and from each colony 10 worker bees were randomly collected from the entrance of the hive. In total, 120 specimens (60 from each genotype) were anesthetized with ethyl acetate and preserved in 95% ethanol. The target body parts were then dissected and mounted on microscope slides using Canada balsam.Subsequently, 11 traits were measured under the standard Ruttner protocol using a stereomicroscope equipped with a digital camera and image analysis software. These traits included forewing length and width, wing venation angles A4, D7 and G18, cubital index (length of veins a and b in the cubital cell), hind leg components (length of femur, tibia and first tarsal segment), and proboscis length. All data were organized in Microsoft Excel and statistically analyzed in SAS using the t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.
Results: The results showed that the Buckfast breed had significantly greater forewing length and D7 angle than the native Iranian breed (P < 0.05), while no significant differences were observed in the other morphometric traits. Correlation analysis indicated that in the Buckfast breed, significant relationships were mainly confined to within-wing traits. In contrast, in the native Iranian breed, significant positive correlations were observed between wing traits and locomotory traits (hind leg components). These findings suggest a greater structural integration and proportionality between flight and locomotory organs in the native Iranian breed compared with the Buckfast breed.
Conclusion: The results indicated that under the climatic conditions of Gorgan, Buckfast and native bees did not differ significantly in most morphometric traits, and the superiority of the Buckfast breed was limited to forewing length and the D7 angle. Considering the overall morphological similarity between the two breeds, relying solely on these traits is not sufficient to demonstrate the superiority of the Buckfast breed. Therefore, a definitive evaluation requires further studies focusing on functional traits such as productivity, foraging behavior, and resistance to diseases.
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