DIFFERENCES IN DRONE CAPPINGS OF APIS-CERANA AND APIS-NIGROCINCTA

The nature of the drone cell caps of Apis cerana and A. nigrocincta we re examined in South and Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. All drone cells of A. cerana were capped with a hard conical cocoon structure; recentl y sealed cells also had an external wax capping. The hardened cocoon c ap above drone pupae had a central, pore. Drone cell caps of A. nigroc incta were sealed with a fragile thin wax capping. The hardened cappin g with pore typical of A. cerana was always absent from drone cappings of A. nigrocincta, regardless of the age of the drone brood. The sign ificance of this finding is briefly discussed.