Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Martins, Luiza Carla Barbosa
• Serrão, José Eduardo

Titel

Morphology and histochemistry of the intramandibular glands in Attini and Ponerini (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) species

Ist Teil von

• Microscopy research and technique, 2011-08, Vol.74 (8), p.763-771

Ort / Verlag

Hoboken: Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company

Erscheinungsjahr

2011

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Wiley Online Library All Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• An understanding of the internal morphology of the ant mandible is important in explaining the relationship between the exocrine system and the behavioral and phylogenetic characteristics of different subfamilies of Formicidae. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of intramandibular glands in ants from the Ponerini (Ponerinae) and Attini (Myrmicinae). These ants possess glands from classes I and III, and secretory epithelial cells with a reservoir. The intramandibular glands show a distinct histology in the studied species, varying in their location, degree of development, and chemical content. Using this information, it is possible to hypothesize that the glands from different tribes produce different substances, which may indicate a variety of functions, depending on the chemical nature of the cellular constituents. A cladistic analysis using the characters of the intramandibular glands separated both tribes, suggesting that structural differences in the intramandibular glands may contribute to future phylogenetic studies of the Formicidae. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.