World Applied Sciences Journal 7 (6): 797-801, 2009 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2009 Corresponding Author: Dr.Y.L. Ramachandra, Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Biotechnology, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta-577 451, Karnataka, India 797 Studies on Behavioural Traits of Two Different Strains of Indian Honey Bee Apis cerana Indica F. S.D. Shruthi, Y.L. Ramachandra and P.S. Sujan Ganapathy Department of P.G. Studies and Research in Biotechnology, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta-577 451, Karnataka, India Abstract: Productive efficiency of the apicultural industry depends upon improvements in bee breed, bee management and bee forage. The behavioural traits such as pollen carrying capacity, pollen and honey stores and colony population were compared for black and yellow strains of Indian honey bee Apis. cerana indica F. Observations of honey bees showing maximum activity support the conjecture that pollen foragers carry relatively little fluid during the hottest periods and pollen foraging decreased at high ambient temperatures. The notable difference in the activity between the species may occur due to availability of pollen source, variation in genetic character, preference for pollen, foraging efficiency, foraging distance and competition for pollen. The mean pollen carrying capacity of foraging bees at different times of the day in the study period and mean pollen stores and honey stores of foraging bees at all seasons of the study period and also population count in a colony acts as a parameter for comparison of black and yellow strains. The final outcome of the study interprets that black strain has higher pollen carrying capacity, maximum area under pollen and honey stores and relatively high population when compared with the yellow strain. Key words: Black and Yellow strains, Pollen carrying capacity, Pollen and honey stores, Bee population INTRODUCTION the tetraploid [2]. The interpretations of the evolution of Honey bees are the prime pollinators; they are analysis and paleogeography [3]. involved in pollination of most field and orchard crops. Amongst the numerous kind of bees found in India, Social bees are especially versatile as they are able to the typical honeybees which are social in habits comprise exploit a broad range of different flower forms. Bees live four different forms, viz. Apis dorsata. F. (rock bee), on nectar; they collect pollen also to feed their larvae. The A. indica. F. (Indian bee), A. florae. F. (little bee) and amount of surplus honey that could be gathered from bee Melipona iridipennis, Dal. (dammar bee) [4]. Deodikar colonies is mainly dependent upon the abundance of says that dialects of two different races of a species may nectar secreting plants in the vicinity of an apiary [1]. be so very distinct that intermixing of workers of two Investigations on evalvation of behavioural traits of races makes their intercommunication impossible resulting different strains of Indian honey bee Apis cerana indica in disorganization or even extinction of a colony [5]. This F. are carried out. The genus Apis has an Indo-Malayan illustrates how ethological or behavioural differences can origin where both diploid (A. florea, A. dorsata) and function as effective isolation mechanisms in the process earlier tetraploid (A. indica) species first appeared. During of taxonomic differentiation even at infraspecific levels. its northward migration by various land routes across the According to Traynor weather is a prime determinant of Himalayan barrier, A. indica seems to have gradually bee activity and until man is able to control the weather, differentiated into A. mellifera and a number of its beekeepers and growers will have to do their best to work African, Eurasian and Sino-Japanese races. Many of these around it [6]. Heinrich reported that honey bees regulated races have accumulated enough genic differentiation and thoracic temperature above 25°C ambient and that sexual as well as behavioural isolation mechanisms so as evaporation of water from mouth is used at high ambient to deserve recognition or creation of new species among temperatures to prevent overheating [7, 8]. In the study of Apis species have been largely based on morphometrical