Carniolan bee (Apis mellifera carnica Pollman) population definition as based on difference in wing venation structure.

摘要

Based on the morphology of Carniolan bee (A. mellifera carnica), the population in Slovenia has been divided into more subgroups or ecotypes, but these differences could not be confirmed using genetic methods. Therefore, one more time Slovenian population of honey bees were studied, this time based on wing venation analysis. A total of 273 samples from Slovenia and 68 samples from Croatia, Czech Republic and Greece, including some selection lines from Austria, Germany, Poland and France were used. On each wing, 19 points were marked from which 37 wing characteristics were measured and calculated. The Slovenian population of honey bees was analysed and compared with other groups. Differences, based on discriminant, principal component and variance analyses were found between groups. Differences between groups were also confirmed using measurements of cubital index. On the other hand, the same approach did not reveal any differences within Slovenian populations. The Slovenian population of honey bees is homogenous and as such does not offer additional variability that could be exploited for selection or preservation purposes.