Age-related comb dimensions of the red dwarf honeybee, Apis florea F. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in the plains of Karnataka, India.

Abstract

Studies were conducted to determine the variations in the dimensions of comb parameters of the dwarf honeybee, Apis florea F. in relation to comb age. The comb parameters viz. comb perimeter, mean area of comb, brood, pollen, honey, crest size, and comb thickness, were varied with comb age and were found to be relatively high in middle-aged combs compared to old and young combs. Furthermore, the observations showed that the width and depth of the comb cells also differed significantly with comb age and maximum size of cell width and depth were found in middle-aged combs.