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Geometric Morphometrics Captures Possible Segregation Occurring within Subspecies Apis Mellifera Adansonii in Three Agro Ecological Zones | Abstract
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Annals of Biological Research

Abstract

Geometric Morphometrics Captures Possible Segregation Occurring within Subspecies Apis Mellifera Adansonii in Three Agro Ecological Zones

Author(s): Rofela Combey*, Peter Quandahor and Benjamin A. Mensah

The development of computational morphometric identification systems in recent times has invariably made it possible for easy segregation of closely related species and subspecies using only wing features. In this research, assessment on possible variabilities within Apis mellifera adansonii in three ecological zones in Ghana were carried out based on 18 forewing landmarks’ variations on 1,500 honeybee samples collected from thirty colonies. Geometric morphometric analyses of the wings indicated that all the 18 Cartesian coordinates of landmark features displayed statistically significant differences within populations among the three ecological zones. The variability within the bee populations among the three ecological zones seemed to be attributed to the variations characterizing each ecozone. Among the 18 wing feactures, variations in 1st Basal vein junction 4, 1st Basal vein junction 5 and 1st recurrent vein junction 3 of wing morphometric features of honey bee workers contribute significantly to subspecies variabilities. These can possibly serve as an effective tool for subgroupings of Apis mellifera adansonii kept in beekeeping practice in ecological zone of Ghana.