Vol. 12, Issue 5 (2023)

Author(s):
Sharma VG, Jethva DM, Wadaskar PS, Kachot AV and Davaria PJ

Abstract:
A morphometry study on worker bee of the stingless bees or dammar bees, Tetragonula iridipennis Smith on fifteen morphological characters was conducted at Biocontrol research laboratory, Junagadh University of Agriculture, Junagadh, Gujarat. The twenty bees were collected from the hive entrance, preserved in alcohol and carefully dissected to study the various morphometric parameters. The mean body length was 4.40±0.18 mm, head length was 1.51±0.03 mm, antennal length was 1.89±0.11 mm, tongue length was 1.06±0.08 mm, thorax length was 1.45±0.02 mm and thorax breadth was 1.58±0.02 mm, forewing length was 3.49±0.10 mm and forewing breadth was 1.44±0.07 mm, hindwing length was 2.61±0.08 mm and hindwing breadth was 0.61±0.03 mm, extent of hamuli was 0.16±0.01 mm, number of hooks was 5.00±0.00, hindleg length was 4.51±0.04 mm and hindleg breadth was 0.49±0.02 mm and abdomen length was 1.52±0.07 mm.