Histomorphological and histochemical structure of the midgut and hindgut of the Caucasian honey bee (Apis mellifera caucasia)

Abstract

The Caucasian honey bee (Apis mellifera caucasia subspecies of Apis mellifera L.) is one of the most common and prominenthoney bee breeds in Turkey. The morphometry of endemic honey bee breeds has been extensively studied, but little attention has beengiven to the microscopic morphology of these bees. The aim of the current study was to describe for the first time the histomorphologyof the midgut and hindgut of the Caucasian honey bee in Turkey. A total of 20 local Caucasian adult honey bee workers were sampled forhistomorphological and histochemical analysis. The midgut epithelium consisted of epithelial cells with different morphologies. Acidic,neutral, and mixed mucosubstances were found in the luminal surfaces of the cells and peritrophic membranes. The ileum mostlyconsisted of an epithelium containing columnar cells that usually had basal nuclei. The rectum of adult workers had a single-layeredepithelium externally, involving a layer of inner circular and outer longitudinal muscles. There were 6 long hollow rectal pads in themedian-anterior area of the rectum. These results contribute in detail to our understanding of the histomorphology of the Caucasian(A. m. caucasia) honey bee.