QUANTITATIVE GENETICS OF MULTIVARIATE MORPHOMETRIC VARIATION IN THE NEOTROPICAL STINGLESS BEE, SCAPTOTRIGONA-POSTICA (HYMENOPTERA, MELIPONINAE)

A quantitative genetic analysis was performed to evaluate phenotypic a nd genotypic multivariate patterns of morphometric variation in Scapto trigona postica. One hundred and fifty bees, collected from 15 man-mad e hives, were analyzed by measuring fifteen characters. Heritabilities found ranged from 0.799 to 0.201. Genetic and phenotypic correlations matrices were highly associated, considering their matrix correlation (r(s) = 0.809; P < 0.01 by Mantel test) and the correspondence of var imax rotated eigenvectors of principal component analysis applied to b oth matrices. Also, phenotypic patterns of correlation were more assoc iated with functional or developmental systems than genetic ones. Ther e was, however, more overall integration in genotypic than in phenotyp ic components of morphometric variation. This is expected considering that most parts of the body of holometabolous insects are derived from imaginal discs, in such a way that final patterns of morphometric var iation are not determined until relatively late in development. Genera l results indicate that phenotypic patterns alone can be used to test evolutionary hypotheses in S.postica.