MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION WITH MORPHOMETRIC AND ANATOMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF HONEY BEE (APIS MELLIFERA LIGUSTICA, APIS MELLIFERA CARNICA AND APIS MELLIFERA MEDA) IN NORTHERN IRAQ

Morphometric, anatomic and genetic diversity of Northern Iraq populations of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) were investigated. Young adult worker bees were collected from 10 separate localities, from four provinces of Northern Iraq; (Duhok, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah and Halabcha) during June 2020, and five colonies were randomly selected from each locality. Thirty young workers were obtained from the brood nest of each colony. Together, morphological identification and molecular identification showed that A. mellifera isolates are A. mellifera ligustica (Genbank accession No. OL824844), A. mellifera carnica (Genbank accession No. OL824935) and A. mellifera meda (Genbank accession No. OP020430). The most obvious differences in the average values of morphological characteristics among the three genetically identified subspecies, were represented in body mass, body length, and the number of hamuli; A. mellifera meda was heavier than A. mellifera ligustica by 9.3 mg and heavier than A. mellifera carnica by 5.1 mg. The differences in the average values of anatomical characteristics among identified subspecies were detected in the length of hypopharyngeal glands acini and the main ducts of the same glands, salivary glands, number of ovarioles and the size of fat body cells. A. mellifera ligustica had bigger hypopharyngeal gland acini (195 ± 10.8 µm), and bigger salivary gland acini (209 ±18.2 µm), while A. mellifera carnica had longer main duct of hypopharyngeal gland (12.6 ± 0.949 mm) and more ovarioles (4.97 ± 0.54) in their ovaries. Significant differences were found in the length of fat body cells of the three subspecies and larger fat body cells were observed in A. mellifera ligustica (70 ±10 µm).