Cubital index
Morphology - or the study of form and structure - is one way to differentiate species and sub species of living organisms. The pattern of the veins of the fore wings is specific for each breed of bees. Measurement of the ratio of two of the wing vein segments of honeybees is the cubital index. The cubital index is consistent for a given race of bee. It can be used to distinguish between similar populations of honeybees and to determine degrees of hybridization.
Procedure
To obtain reliable average results, at least 100 bee fore wings have to be analyzed. Measurements are taken under a dissecting microscope with a magnification of 10x to 20x.