BIOMETRICS OF STINGLESS BEE, Tetragonula iridipennis (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Apidae)
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Date
30-01-14
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University of Agricultural Sciences GKVK, Bangalore
Abstract
Survey on distribution, nesting behaviour and biometrics of stingless bee,
Tetragonula iridipennis was conducted at different agro-climatic zones of southern
Karnataka and biometry of collected samples were studied at Department of
Apiculture, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore during 2013-14. Stingless bee, colonies were
widely distributed in different agro-climatic zones and were found in the hallows of
tree trunks, stone walls, mud walls, junctions of wooden beams of doors and
windows, cracks of roof and meter box in all agro climatic zones. However, wall
cavities offered excellent nesting site for most of the colonies observed in agroclimatic
zones. All the colonies had small hole which acted as an entrance and it was
extended horizontally and continued inside up to the nest cavity. Brood cells and food
pots were compactly arranged in clusters. Food pots were sealed after filling with
honey and pollen and arranged separately but, sometime intermixed. Larval cells
were brown coloured, whereas pupal cells were cream coloured. Stingless bees
collected from different agro-climatic zones showed variation in some of the
morphometric characters. However, bees from hilly zone recorded maximum body
length, head size, antennal length, lapping tongue length, thorax size, forewing and
hind wing size, extent of hamuli, hind tibial size and abdominal length, followed by
eastern dry zone, southern dry zone, central dry zone and coastal zone.
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Keywords
costs, manpower, productivity, tillage equipment, diseases, area, crops, economics, biological development, biological phenomena