I

ANNO 3 Numero 3
Alessandra Ferro [1], Emanuele Carpana [1], Fausto Desalvo [2], Ilaria Franzoni [1]

Morphometrical characterisationof pure-breeding honeybee popultaions (Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola and Apis mellifera sicula Montagano)

[1]CRA - INA, Bologna, Italy
[2] Dip. Matematica, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy

Corresponding author: aferro@inapicoltura.org


Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola is the main Italian honeybee race. Anyway, another Italian endemic race is present in Sicily: Apis mellifera sicula Montagano. Some hybridization areas between ligustica and other races are already known (A. m. mellifera L. in north western and A. m. carnica Pollman in north eastern borderline, respectively). In this study we pointed out to evaluate the taxonomic position of collected samples with respect to standard values and the reliability of the measurement method.

107 honeybee samples were morphometrically analysed coming from different professional bee breeders throughout Italy and Sicily. Then they were compared to some samples of A. m. mellifera from France and A. m. carnica from Austria. A substantial morphometrical homogeneity and conformity with standard values were detected within each Italian subspecies. Hybridization at initial stage was detected between some samples collected in Sicily and ligustica, even if some of their specific characters are maintained. The analytical method used in the present study is to consider suitable for honeybee discrimination among Mediterranean basin races.