2 DISTINCT POPULATIONS OF CAVITY-NESTING HONEY-BEES (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE) IN SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA

Two distinct cavity-nesting morphs of bees were collected in South Sul awesi, Indonesia. Morphometric analyses indicate that the smaller, dar ker morph corresponds to Apis cerana. The other morph is larger, with yellowish clypeus and legs. Discriminant analysis of the morphometric data yields an ellipse for this second morph that is distinct at the 9 5% confidence interval from those for the other recognized Asian cavit y-nesting honey bees, A. cerana and A. koschevnikovi. Preliminary evid ence indicates that the two morphs are largely allopatric in South Sul awesi, but they are sometimes found in close proximity (e.g., 12 km). If subsequent study demonstrates little or no hybridization between th e two forms, the larger ''yellow'' morph should be referred to as Apis nigrocincta F. Smith, 1861, based on the similarity to the type speci men collected by A. R. Wallace in Sulawesi.