Morphometric Analysis and Classification

Abstract

Valid classification, especially at the subspecies level, can be achieved only if a fairly good knowledge of the total variability is available. Creating taxonomic units based exclusively on local investigations may be as mis-leading as general conclusions drawn from scanty data. The main scope of this analysis was to obtain a framework — necessarily only fragmentary — of the total variability and the phenetic structure of Apis mellifera. To collect the samples from all the regions needed for this goal proved to be as difficult and time-consuming as analyzing them. The foundation of the collection at the Institut für Bienenkunde, Oberursel, now comprising about 1400 samples, was furnished by the valuable series of more than 400 samples from countries all over Europe and the Mediterranean gathered by Br. Adam during his many exploratory excursions in the years 1952–1976. This collection was systematically complemented and expanded in most regions of the mellifera area during the last 30 years by the author’s activities with the help of a great number of colleagues. Besides worker bees, drone samples were also collected. Research programs on comparative behavior and reproduction stimulated a taxonomic study of A. cerana, based on 93 samples of this species. All data obtained from this collection are stored in the morphometric bee data bank of the Institut in Oberursel.