EFFECT OF COMB AGE ON BROOD REARING, DRY WEIGHT, NITROGEN CONTENT AND SOME MORPHOMETRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKER HONEY BEE (Apis mellifera L.).

Fathy,, H. M.

doi:10.21608/jppp.2000.258840

EFFECT OF COMB AGE ON BROOD REARING, DRY WEIGHT, NITROGEN CONTENT AND SOME MORPHOMETRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKER HONEY BEE (Apis mellifera L.).

Document Type : Original Article

Author

H. M. Fathy,

Econ. Entomol. Dept., Fac. of Agric., Mansoura Univ.

10.21608/jppp.2000.258840

Abstract

Twelve 1st hybrid colonies (Carniolan x Local Egyptian race) were chosen to study the effect of combs age on brood rearing activity, dry weight, nitrogen content and some morphometrical characteristics of emergen worker bees. The colonies were divided into three groups A, B and C, which contained combs of 1, 2 and 4-year-old, respectively.
In relation to brood rearing activity, a highly significant difference was found between group A and group C. There was also a significant difference between group B and group A. The highest mean of dry weight and nitrogen content of head and thorax were recorded in emerging workers of group A, followed by those of group B. The lowest record of dry weight and nitrogen content was exhibited by the emerging workers of group C.
Significant differences also occurred between some morphometrical characteristics namely tongue, flagellum, fore-wing, cubitel index, hind-wing, hooks and basitarsus of emerging workers according to age of combs.