Multivariate morphometric analysis of dwarf honey bees, Apis florea Fabricius and Apis andreniformis Smith in North-east India

Aim: Morphometric study of dwarf honey bees had been undertaken from five physiographic zones of Northeast India. Methodology: Bee samples were collected randomlyfrom various agro-ecosystems. 26 morphometric traits were measured under stereoscopic zoom microscope for morphometric study. Multivariate statistical analysis were used to investigate population variations and relationship between the groups. Results: Two species of dwarf honey beesviz. Apis florea and Apis andreniformis were identified. The average body length of A. florea was 8.126±0.01 mm with average hamuli number of 12.150±0.07. In A. andreniformis the average body length and hamuli number were 6.940±0.08 mm and 10.467±0.03 respectively Cubital index in A. andreniformis was 5.214±0.03 while 2.491±0.07 in A. florea. Interpretation: Principal component analysis accounted for 82.184% of the total morphological variation. A. florea formed two morphoclusters viz., plain landraces including Brahmaputra valley and Barak valley and hill landraces including Arunachal Himalaya, Meghalaya Plateau and South eastern hill tract where they tend to cluster morphologically. Locally distributed species may be under future threat of extinction, due to changes in agricultural practices and climate change. The untapped native bee species are required to be documented properly in order to utilize the potentiality of these resources for the sustainable utilization and economic prosperity of the region. Key words: Apis species, Dwarf honey bee, Morphometric analysis, North-east India, Physiographic zones