Report and Survey of Morphometric Characteristics of Varroa destructor (Acari:Varroidae) Collected from Honey Bees in Tehran Province, Iran

This research explains the morphometric characteristics of Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman in Tehran Province. ۱۸۰ adult female mites were collected from three different colonies of Apis mellifera L. in three apiaries during September ۲۰۰۳ to May ۲۰۰۴. These colonies were divided according to three altitudes-less than ۱۰۰۰m, ۱۰۰۰-۱۵۰۰m and more than ۱۵۰۰m above the sea level. The morphological characteristics of mite samples were examined using light microscopy. Measurements of mite specimens in-cluding body lengths, widths, mean size of leg segments and chelicerae were obtained from ۱۸۰ females. Data were analyzed using the SAS package. The results revealed that: with ۹۵% confidence intervals, body lengths were ۱۱۵۲.۶-۱۲۱۸.۹ (for less than ۱۰۰۰m alti-tude), ۱۱۶۳.۲-۱۲۲۰.۷ (for ۱۰۰۰-۱۵۰۰m altitude) and ۱۱۶۷.۱-۱۲۲۸.۳ (for grater than ۱۵۰۰m altitude). Also, body widths for those apiaries with ۹۵% confidence intervals were: ۱۷۰۹.۸-۱۸۱۸.۲, ۱۷۱۲.۱-۱۸۱۹.۵ and ۱۷۲۰.۴-۱۸۲۰.۶, respectively. Mean body lengths were ۱۱۹۷.۲, ۱۱۹۹.۲ and ۱۲۰۰.۱ and mean body widths were ۱۷۷۵.۶, ۱۷۸۱.۷ and ۱۷۸۹.۹, respec-tively. No significant differences were observed between the size of leg segments and che-licerae among specimens studied. Comparison between measurements of body lengths and widths of specimens which were collected from Firozkoh (above ۱۵۰۰m altitude), Karaj(۱۰۰۰-۱۵۰۰m altitude) and apiaries in Varamin (less than ۱۰۰۰m altitude) in Tehran Province revealed that there was no significant difference between the three colonies. These specimens were also differ from V. jacobsoni. The results showed that our speci-mens were V. destructor not V. jacobsoni. Moreover, the Tehran Province specimens are similar to V. destructor in that they are less spherical than V. jacobsoni.

کلیدواژه ها:

Honey bee ، Morphometric characteristics ، Tehran Province ، Varroa destructor