A Biometrical Study on the Japanese Honey Bee, Observations upon Some Populations of Kyushu (Studies on the Japanese Honey Bee, Apis cerana Fabr. IX)

In a previous paper, the present writers made a biometrical comparison between the European and Japanese honey bees, Apis mellifera ligustica Spinola and Apis cerana cerana Fabr., with respect to some external characteristics (Akahira & Sakagami, 1959). In that study, the comparison was made between only on representative sample in each species; further researches based upon many samples were suggested as necessary. In the present study, the first attempt to fulfil this requirement, eight samples of A. cerana cerana taken from Kyushu, Southern Japan, were compared with each other. Further, some observations as to the variation of wing venation will be described as information additional to that in another paper published elsewhere (Akahira & Sa kagami, 1959). The present investigation was carried out under the direction of Prof. Tohru Uchida , to whom the writers are much indebted.