Chemical composition of the intramandibular glands of the ant Neoponera villosa (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera: Ponerinae)

Martins, Luiza Carla Barbosa; Nascimento, Fábio Santos do; Campos, Maria Cláudia Guidetti; Lima, Eraldo; Zanúncio, José Cola; Serrão, José Éduardo

doi:10.1007/s00049-014-0172-3

Cited by 8 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…The function of the various intramandibular glands unfortunately remains undocumented. A study about the chemical composition of the intramandibular glands in Neoponera villosa suggests the compounds play a role of worker activity, and in the queen they may be related with a caste profile [ 24 ]. In Oecophylla longinoda , a peculiar behavior occurs when workers discover a new territory, a sugary food source, a prey or an alien ant, at such encounters they rub their mandibles onto the substrate as a marking signal to recruit their nestmates [ 13 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphology of the Novel Basimandibular Gland in the Ant Genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Wang

Steenhuyse-Vandevelde

Lin

et al. 2021

Insects

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In 1999, Barry Bolton postulated the presence of a basimandibular gland in the mandibles in all species of the ant genus Strumigenys, solely based on scanning microscopy observations. We now confirm the presence of this putative gland in the proximal outer part of the mandibles of 22 investigated species by histological and ultrastructural examination, including 10 short- and 12 long-mandibulate species. All species have a basimandibular gland, that is formed by 15–25 µm thick epithelial cells and belongs to class-1 following the standard classification of insect exocrine glands. We consider it a novel gland because of its peculiar bowl-shape and special arrangement of the microvilli that are confined to large vacuolar spaces instead of reaching the cuticle. The gland is most pronounced in S. mutica, particularly in the queen. In addition to this gland, we also found scattered class-3 intramandibular gland cells in the mandibles. Queens of S. mutica are peculiar in having a cluster of these cells in the distal tip of their mandibles. As this species is a social parasite, further research is required to determine whether the development of these mandibular glands is related to its parasitic lifestyle.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphology of the Novel Basimandibular Gland in the Ant Genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Wang

Steenhuyse-Vandevelde

Lin

et al. 2021

Insects

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“…However, the morphological features of these glands in the queens and soldiers of A. laevigata suggest that these glands may play a role in the release of sex pheromones or are involved some how in reproduction in queens and an alarm or defensive pheromones in soldiers, while in minor and medium workers, other functions may be attributed to these glands secretions. Production of pheromone for intramandibular glands occurs in the ponerine ant Neoponera villosa (Martins et al, ). Therefore, these differences may be associated with caste profile.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intramandibular glands in different castes of leaf‐cutting Ant, Atta laevigata (Fr. Smith, 1858) (Formicidae: Attini)

Martins

Lúcia

Gonçalves

et al. 2015

Microscopy Res & Technique

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Intramandibular glands have been poorly studied in polymorphic ants, where the differences between castes were unsufficiently scrutinized. Leaf-cutting ants possess one of the most complex systems of communication and labor division, which is polymorphic well as age polyethism, and makes them an ideal model for the study of intramandibular glands. This study has investigated the occurrence of intramandibular glands in female castes and subcastes of Atta laevigata. The mandibles of the queen, medium, and minor workers, and soldiers were submitted to histological, histochemical, ultrastructural, and morphometric analyses. The class-3 gland cells and the epidermal gland with a reservoir were found in all the castes. The queens and soldiers showed a higher number of class-3 gland cells, distributed within the mandible as well as a greater gland size in comparison to the workers. The histochemical tests, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), mercury-bromophenol, and Nile blue, were similar for the class-3 gland cells and epidermal glands with a reservoir. However, the tests evidenced differences between the castes, with carbohydrates strongly positive in all of them, whereas neutral lipids were found in the queen and soldiers. The protein was weakly positive in the queen, whereas in the soldier, medium, and minor workers these reactions were strongly positive in the intramandibular glands. Our findings in A. laevigata suggest that intramandibular glands are directly involved in labor division and consequently in chemical communication between the castes.

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“…A higher frequency of selected articles addresses glandular secretions of ants with the objective of evaluating the origin and action of the pheromones in the intra-and inter-specific behavior of the ants (Cammaerts & Cammaerts, 1998;Jones et al, 2004;Norman et al, 2017). The chemical characterization of the substances present in the secretions was the second goal that most motivated the investigation of glandular secretions of ants (Castricani et al, 2003;Wood et al, 2011;Martins et al, 2015). Antimicrobial activity of glandular secretions of ants appears as the third most cited objective in the literature consulted (Attygale et al, 1989;Quinet et al, 2012;Song et al, 2012).…”

Section: Extractionmethods Evaluationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glandular Secretions of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): A Review on Extraction, Chemical Characterization and Antibiotic Potential

Guarda

Lutinski

2020

Sociobiology

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Ants live under ideal microclimatic conditions for the development of microorganisms. As mechanisms to ensure the health of the colony and as a defense strategy, these insects developed exocrine glands that work in the production of antibiotics (chemical defense) and in the immune defense of the colony. This study aimed to describe the state-of-the-art on extraction methods, chemical characterization and the antibiotic potential of glandular secretions of ants. This is a review of the scientific literature between 1989 and 2017. A total of 52 articles were selected. These addressed the behavior, chemical characterization, the antimicrobial effect and evaluated methods of extraction. The most investigated genera are Atta, Acromyrmexand Crematogaster. The glands most reported in the articles involving extraction of secretions were Dufour, mandibular and metapleural. The most reported methods of extraction were gland maceration and extraction with (organic) solvents and direct extraction of the gland. Most studies evaluated secretions with respect to ant behavior. There is a paucityin the literature about the chemical characterization of most glandular secretions of ants, as well as for most taxa. The same deficiency is observed with regard to prospecting the antibiotic and antifungal potential of these secretions. for most taxa. The same deficiency is observed with regard to prospecting the antibiotic and antifungal potential of these secretions.

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Chemical composition of the intramandibular glands of the ant Neoponera villosa (Fabricius, 1804) (Hymenoptera: Ponerinae)

Cited by 8 publications

References 48 publications

Morphology of the Novel Basimandibular Gland in the Ant Genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Morphology of the Novel Basimandibular Gland in the Ant Genus Strumigenys (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

Intramandibular glands in different castes of leaf‐cutting Ant, Atta laevigata (Fr. Smith, 1858) (Formicidae: Attini)

Glandular Secretions of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): A Review on Extraction, Chemical Characterization and Antibiotic Potential

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