COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MIDGUT MORPHOLOGY AND DIGESTIVE PARAMETERS IN WORKERS, QUEENS AND MALES OF APIS MELLIFERA L. (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE, APINAE)1

Abstract

A colony of eusocial bees is constitute of workers, males and a queen, each one with specific functions in the society. These particular functions imply in differential physiologies and therefore differential nourishment needs. This paper contains an evaluation of the midgut size and histology in different life phases of the mentioned individuals, besides observations about the food intake the food intestinal transit and eletrophoretic proteins pattern of midgut extracts. The results show a parallel between the individual function in the colony and these digestive parameters. Keywords: individual classes; midgut size, life phases, food intake, intestinal transit.