Stingless bee Tetragonula laeviceps and T. aff. biroi: geometric morphometry analysis of wing venation variations

Abstract

Abstract Tetragonula laeviceps from Pandeglang West Java is characterized by a thin honey pot. The purpose of this study was to analyze variations of wing venation among stingless bee T. laeviceps, T. laeviceps (thin honey pot) and T. aff. biroi using geometric morphometric analysis. The research was conducted by digitized the landmark at nine homologs venations of stingless bee anterior right-wing venation from 20 individuals of each species. The results show variations on wing venation in the intra- and interspecies of stingless bees based on the relative warp ordination plot. Landmark numbers 4 and number 6 are the characteristics that separate T. laeviceps and T. laeviceps (thin honey pot), and landmark numbers 1, 2, 5, and number 9 are characteristic between T. laeviceps and T. aff. biroi. Based on relative contribution value, landmark number 7 revealed as significant characters in the genus level and landmark number 9 are characteristics in the intraspecies of Tetragonula. The number of landmark variations and bending energy value of intraspecies are less compare to the interspecies of Tetragonula. The unrooted phylogenetic analysis shows the T. laeviceps, T. laeviceps (thin honey pot) and T. aff. biroi are separate in a different cluster for the intra- and interspecies.