Research
Morphometric and Landmark Based Variations of Apis mellifera L. Wings in the Savannah Agro-ecological Zone of Nigeria
This study was aimed at identifying the ecotype Apis mellifera subspecies in the savannah vegetation zone of Nigeria based on wing morphology and landmarks variations of samples collected from five States of savannah agroecological zone in the country. The measured variables were subjected to analysis with parametric statistic tools of mean, standard deviation and standard error. The distribution and relation between them were subjected to two step cluster analysis. Morphoclusters means were presented in centroids and also the simultaneous confidence intervals (95%) of means values of wing morphometric and landmarks were expressed. Savannah vegetation honeybee samples were classified into two distinct morphoclusters. Morphoclusters 1 constituted 56.4% of honeybees in the region while morphoclusters 2 had 43.6%. The within cluster percentage of state of honeybee showed all honeybee samples collected from Kebbi (100%) State were of morphoclusters 1 and also, morphoclusters 2 in Kaduna (100%) and Kwara (100%)States.
Comparative Studies of Behaviourial Variations of Apis mellifera L. Species in Nigeria
Studies were conducted for three beekeeping seasons (between 2009 and 2011) on 400 colonized hives sited in the two major vegetation zones of Nigeria. Direct counting of the number of sting babels deposited on the beekeepers kit by scout bees defending her colony was done during the period of routing inspection and harvesting of crops from selected colonies while swarming and abscondment of established colonies after the first visit was noted and recorded for each farm. Behaviourial variations of mellifera species from the forest and savannah vegetation zones of Nigeria revealed that majority (above 65%) of the honeybees were highly aggressive and none of the colonies in the country was stingless. The preponderance of the deposit of the sting babels by the scout bees in the nation was highly aggressive +++> aggressive ++ > less aggressive + >stinglessness –. Comparison of behaviourial variations of Apis mellifera colonies in Nigeria revealed that Abuja (31.3%), Adamawa (4.0%) and Osun (3.3%) States had the less aggressive species of honeybees while, both Kebbi (80.7%) and Ebonyi (79.7%) States recorded the highest percentages of sting babels deposition in the savannah and forest vegetation respectively.
