> > Can you cite any reference showing that the difference in tongue lenght
> > between "big" Apis mellifera and little Apis mellifera?

With regard to cells size influence on bee morphometry, I grab into some
old studies cited in Traité de Biologie de l'abeille (Chauvin, 1968),
just to remember what were the findings of that time (time of large
cells "believers"):

- the now well known Belgian Beaudoux (late 20's) was reporting tongues
5/10 mm longer for each decrease of 50 cells/dm2 and thorax large of
3.7mm with 850 ¢/dm2 foundations, 3.9mm with 800 ¢/dm2 foundations,
4.1mm with 750 ¢/dm2 foundations, 4.3 with 700 ¢/dm2 foundations
- The American Grout (1937) was less enthousiast but also reported a
correlation between cells size and bees morphometry. He reported a
maximum increase of the tongue of 2.1% (vs 11.9 to 25% reported by
Beaudoux)
- The Italian Giavarni (1943) also reported a correlation between cells
size and bees size, but concluded it was not significant.
- The Russian Babaiev (1949) was looking for big tongues bees for clover
crop. He reported "natural" cells size of 5.4 mm (mean value) for
Ukrainian bees and 5.56 in Bachkiry. The correlation between cells size
and bee weight was :
5.960mm - 145 mg
5.750mm - 139 mg
5.555mm - 134 mg
5.375mm - 129 mg
5.210mm - 124 mg
5.060mm - 119 mg
4.925mm - 115 mg
4.805mm - 111 mg
- A couple of other Russian (Glushkov and Ignatowitch) were also
claiming for larger bees in larger cells being better in the 50's and
60's
- In Armenia, with 6mm cells size, Kotogyan and Martirosan (1958) were
reporing 1.1mm longer tongues
- In Romania, (Mirza and Malaiu, 1961) reported a direct correlation
between cells size and bees size but they also reported a large
variability in natural cells size from one region to another.
- Abdellatif (1965) confirmed the strong correlation between cells size
and bees size comparing new combs use with lod dark combs used by 70
generations of bees.

The author of the monography concludes that almost all authors of the
time agreed on a strong correlation between cells size and bees size
(including bees tongue's size) attributed to the quantity of food beeing
larger in larger cells. Just a light of past on this current matter.

Hervé,
Qc, Canada

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  Hervé
  www.emelys.com

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