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Differences in the number of antennal sensory structures of males of three honey bee types

Diferenças no número de estruturas sensoriais antenares de machos de 3 tipos de abelhas melíferas

The number of sensilla campaniformia and sensilla coeloconica + sensilla ampullacea of flagellomeres 2 to 11 of the antennae of three types of males (Italian, African and Africanized) was determined by scanning electron microscopy. Comparison of the three male types showed that Italian males did not differ from African males in number of sensilla coeloconica + sensilla ampullacea and that both differed from Africanized males in terms of flagellomere 11. With respect to flagellomeres 3 and 10, Italian males were similar to Africanized males and both differed from African males. No differences between the three male types were detected in the other flagellomeres. In relation to the number of sensilla campaniformia Italian males differed of the African and Africanized males with respect to flagellomere 11.

antennae; flagellomeres; sensilla; Apis mellifera


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