Distribution and variation of size of Apis florea F in Iran

Fifteen samples of Apis florea worker bees were collected from nests found in Iranian provinces near the Persian Gulf, up to more than 33 degrees north and to 1 900 m altitude. This indicates a wider range of ecological adaptability than had previously been assumed. A south-north geocline exists in size characteristics over about the same range as for A mellifera. The vertical ecocline, although present, was only partial and rather irregular. No climate-related variation in hair length was found in the species. The data are discussed in view of the rudimentary thermoregulation and possible seasonal migration behavior in A florea.