Variability Analysis on Some Vespidae Species from Diyarbakir, Mardin and Sanliurfa in South-east Anatolia

Authors: Hasan AKBAYIN, Cengizhan ÖZBAY

Abstract: In this study, 359 female workers of the Vespidae species, namely Polistes dominulus buncharensis, Polistes gallicus, Vespula germanica and Vespa orientalis, were collected from Vespidae populations in Diyarbakir, Mardin, and Sanliurfa in South-east Anatolia. Eight body variables were measured on each specimen and the obtained data matrix was categorized according to species and population. The Coefficients of Variation (CV) of the body variables were calculated for each category. By using the CV values, variability profiles plotted to compare the variability between populations of the species diagrammatically. The Friedman and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were then used to determine whether the differences in body variables of the species were statistically significant between population. As a result, it was concluded that variability between, the populations of Polistes dominulus buncharensis was statistically significant and the variability of certain body variables was relatively greater than that of others in all the species. Furthermore, it is recommended that an appropriate experimental desing be conceived to determine the actual sources of the variabiliyt between or within populations.

Keywords: Biometrics, Variability Analysis, Hymenoptera