*Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, El Obeid, 160, Sudan, Email: mrmustafa1982@gmail.com (corresponding author)
**Cotton Section, Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, CCS HAU, Hisar, 125004
Department of Entomology, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, 176260
Online published on 24 October, 2019.
Study on morphometrics of Apis cerana was conducted for 13 characters in order to examine the variability and comparison with earlier reports. Samples of workers bees were collected from the apiaries at different locations namely, Bajaura (Kullu), Bharmour (Chamba), Nagrota Bagwan, Palampur (Kangra) and Sangla (Kinnaur) representing different zones. Results showed that head height x width, proboscis length, thorax length, abdomen length, fore wing length x width, cubital index, hind wing length x width, number of hamuli, coxa length, trochanter length, femur length, tibia length and metatarsus length x width varied from 2.87–3.07 x 3.49–3.78 mm, 5.35–5.46 mm, 3.97–4.39 mm, 5.18–6.01 mm, 8.46–8.93 x 2.86–3.03 mm, 2.70–3.38, 5.97–6.37 x 1.62–1.72 mm, 18.64–19.90, 0.91–1.08 mm, 0.63–0.76 mm, 2.29–2.42 mm, 2.72–2.95 mm and 1.83–1.97 x 0.98–1.07 mm, respectively. Present findings on morphometrics of three important characters viz., proboscis length, fore wing length and cubital index were compared with the earlier reports wherein the mean proboscis length (5.41 mm) and forewing length (8.67 mm) were found to be close to A. cerana cerana. However, cubital index value (3.01) was at wide variance from A. cerana cerana.
Apis cerana, Himachal Pradesh, worker bees, proboscis length, fore wing length, cubital index, thorax, abdomen, legs
