The ultrastructure of the intramandibular gland in soldiers of the termite Machadotermes rigidus (Blattodea: Termitidae: Apicotermitinae)

Beránková, Tereza; Buček, Aleš; Bourguignon, Thomas; Arias, Johanna Romero; Akama, Pierre D.; Sillam‐Dussès, David; Šobotník, Jan

doi:10.1016/j.asd.2021.101136

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…These glands have been only observed inside the basal mandibles of Machadotermes soldiers and consist of numerous class 3 secretory cells, opening through conspicuous pores (Deligne et al, 1981; Quennedey, 1984; Beránková et al, 2021). It has been speculated that intramandibular glands play a role in the protection against pathogens (Beránková et al, 2021).…”

Section: Glands Associated With the Mouthparts And Head Appendagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Termite exocrine systems: a review of current knowledge

Costa–Leonardo

Silva

Laranjo

2023

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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Termite (Isoptera) social life comprises a coordinated and complex system, in which several activities are played by different castes such as mating, brood care, foraging, kinship recognition, social immunity, and nest defense. Such activities require specialized communication mediated mainly by semiochemicals, including pheromones (Costa-Leonardo & Haifig, 2014;Bagnères & Hanus, 2015). Such communication relies on the secretory activity of a wide set of exocrine glands located in different body parts, which may often be associated with the production of specific compounds for equally specific activities (Costa-Leonardo & Haifig, 2010a). On the other hand, the secretion of the same compounds might be observed among different glands, species, or even used for distinct activities, suggesting a parsimony and functional plasticity in chemical communication in termites (Robert et al., 2004;Costa-Leonardo et al., 2009a).Many termite exocrine glands produce pheromones, which are associated with chemical communication, whereas others produce defensive and antiseptic compounds (Rosengaus et al., 2004;Šobotník et al., 2010a). Such a defensive function is particularly well reported for the soldier caste and alate reproductives during swarming flights, occasions in which these individuals are vulnerable to massive predation (Lepage, 1991). Beyond their crucial role in nestmate interactions, exocrine glands in termites are involved in other physiological processes, including the production of digestive enzymes, synthesis of contents

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Section: Glands Associated With the Mouthparts And Head Appendagesmentioning

confidence: 99%