Relationing of Labellum and Glossae Biomorphological characteristics of honeybee workers as breeding tool on honey collection potential of Apis mellifera L. honeybee colonies

This study focused on the correlation of honey collection Potential and the length and width of labellum and glossae in worker honey bees (Apis mellifera Ligustica). Sixty honeybee A. mellifera L. colonies were selected, among these 60 colonies, 3 worker bees were sampled from each colony total numbers of samples collected were 180 adult worker foraging bees. Fifteen colonies for each group were used to check the correlation of honey production with length of labellum, width of labellum, length of glossae and the width of glossae respectively. These worker bees were bought to the laboratory frozen, boiled, dissected and mounted on the slides. Measurements of the labellum length, labellum width, glossae length and glossae width were taken by the stereomicroscope with ocular micrometer at 0.8X magnification. Correlation values for the honey collectionand length and width of labellum and glossae were high and positive. These Results support the perception that worker bees with larger labellum and glossae have more ability for honey collection Potential. It is concluded that Biomorphological characters of labellum and glossae are significantly correlated with the honeycollection Potential in A. mellifera L.


INTRODUCTION
Western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are social insects, best model for the behavior study and most flourishing specie in Kingdom Animalia [1].Honey bees are very important due their products honey, pollen, bee bread, propolis (vegetable origin), royal jelly bees wax and bee venom (bee secretions) [2]. Honey bees are also very important due to as a trade product, usage in medicine and food and their role in pollination [3].
Honey production is one of the most complex behavioral characters of honey bees that influenced by the morphological strength of honey bees. Study of correlation between the morphological characters and the productivity is of great importance for the future selection of colonies to increase productivity. Study of correlation makes it easier to measure the direction of relationship of morphology and productivity [4].

Morphological characters of honey bees are very important in correlation to honeycollection
Potential. Morphological strength of honey bees affects their productivity directly or indirectly.
Thereis a positive correlation in the honey production and proboscis size [5].Proboscis of Honeybees consists of following parts; glossae and labellum-honey spoon.Segments elongation of proboscis part' glossae of honey bees is positively correlated with intake of nectar [6]. For maximum nectar collection honey bees needs long glossae to insert deep into the flower corolla [7,8].
This study has aimed to examine the correlation of honey collection potentialand length and width of labellum and glossae in the western honey bees Apis mellifera Ligustica.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Sixty beehives undergo queen replacement were screened in the project apiaries for the sample collection at HBRI (Honey bee Research Institute), NARC (National Agricultural Research Centre), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Three worker bees were sampled from each selected colony. Total Sampled bees were 180, brought to the laboratory and kept deep freezer to kill bees. Samples were boiled in water for 2-3 minutes to soften the bees and ethanol was added in bottle of samples. Under magnifying glass lamp proboscis of worker bees were dissected by fore sips and mounted on the double glass slides as show in (figs 2, 4, 6 and 8). After 2-3 h measurements were taken by binocular SZX7 stereo microscope with ocular micrometer at zoom ratio 0.8X 5 .
Colonies were categorized on the base of length and width of labellum and glossae in 5 groups; 3 colonies in each group, after taking the measurements. For spring season colonies were shifted to Margalla hills. Honey was collected and correlation was checked either the correlation is positive or not. Data was analyzed statistically by R-2.6 version statistical software and arranged in Microsoft excel.

Correlation of labellum length with honey collection Potential
Correlation between the honey collection Potentialand the labellum length are shown in table 1 and ( fig 3). Honey yield recorded was 11.08±0.58 kg at the labellum length of 1.59±0.05 and 5.833±0.58 kg at the labellum length of 0.66±0.0. So the results shown that as the length of labellum is high, honey collection increased. This shows that correlation between the honeycollection Potential and labellum length is highly significant P < 0.01.

Correlation of labellum Width with honey collection Potential
Correlation between the honey collection Potential and the labellum width are shown in table 2 and (fig 3). Honey yield recorded was 11.666±0.58 kg at the labellum width of 1.1553±0.029 and 7±0.00 kg at the labellum width of 0.644±0.06. So the results shown that as the width of labellum is high, honey collectionincreased. This shows that correlation between the honey collection Potentialand labellum width is highly significant P < 0.01.

Correlation of Glossae length with honey collection Potential
Correlation between the honeycollection Potential and the glossae length are shown in table 3 and (fig 4). Honey yield recorded was 10.5±0.00 kg at the glossae length of 24.0±0.288 and 5.83±0.58 kg at the glossae length of 20.66±0.66. So the results shown that as the length of glossae is high, honey yield increased. This shows that correlation between the honeycollection Potential and glossae length is highly significant P < 0.01.   honey yield increased. This shows that correlation between the honey collection Potentialand glossae width is highly significant P < 0.01.

Effect of glossae width variation on honey collection potential
This experimental study was conducted on Apis mellifera L. for the prediction of correlation of honey collection potentialand labellum length, honey collection potentialand labellum width, honey collection potentialand glossae length and honey collection potentialand glossae width.
Results showed that the correlation between the honey collection potentialand labellum length, labellum width, glossae length and glossae width is highly significant P < 0.01. These

CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the data obtained and analyzed that Morphological characters of labellum and glossae are significantly correlated with the honey collection potentialin A. mellifera L. So for the selection of best breeder colony, length and width of labellum and glossae could be the best parameters like other traits of the colony.