Would wax glands help us to understand the relationships among corbiculate bees?

Noll, Fernando Barbosa; Justino, Cíntia Eleonora Lopes; Almeida, Eduardo A. B.; Mateus, Sidnei; Billen, Johan

doi:10.1007/s00040-021-00813-9

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…However, this simple description belies the astonishing variety of specialized exocrine glands found among social insects, reflecting the breadth of their behavioral diversity and the complexity of social life. Many exocrine glands produce conspicuous materials with structural or physical functions, such as the defensive secretions discharged at enemies by nasute termite soldiers ( Noirot 1969 , Quennedey 1984 , Santos and Costa-Leonardo 2006 ) or the construction materials produced by the wax gland complexes of eusocial corbiculate bees ( Cruz-Landim 1963 , Noll et al 2021 ). However, a major function of exocrine glands is to produce chemical signals that organize collective phenomena ( Billen and Morgan 1998 , Billen 2011 ).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pheromones and the exocrine glands that produce them enable chemical communication among social insects, providing a window into the proximate mechanisms that underpin their incredible evolutionary success ( Hölldobler and Wilson 1990 , Downing 1991 , Billen and Morgan 1998 , Wilson and Hölldobler 2005 ). Because of their central role in the lives of eusocial insects, the presence and ultrastructure of exocrine glands, as well as the social deployment of their products, can provide useful clues about phylogenetic relationships among related groups ( Billen 1994 , Mitra 2013 , Noll et al 2021 ). Innovative uses of exocrine glands can also support the diversification of unique lifestyles among eusocial insects.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Linking the Morphology of Sternal Glands to Rubbing Behavior byVespa soror(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Workers During Recruitment for Group Predation

Mattila

Shimano

Otis

et al. 2021

Annals of the Entomological Society of America

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The activities of social insect colonies are supported by exocrine glands and the tremendous functional diversity of the compounds that they secrete. Many social wasps in the subfamilies Vespinae and Polistinae have two sternal glands—the van der Vecht and Richards’ glands—that vary in their features and function across the species in which they are found. Field observations suggest that giant hornets use secretions from the van der Vecht gland to chemically mark targeted nests when workers initiate group attacks on social insect prey. However, descriptions of giant hornets’ sternal glands and details about their recruitment behavior are lacking. We describe the morphology of the sternal glands of the giant hornet Vespa soror du Buysson and consider their potential to contribute to a marking pheromone. We also assess the gastral rubbing behavior of workers as they attacked Apis cerana F. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies. V. soror workers have well-developed van der Vecht and Richards’ glands on their terminal gastral sternites, with morphologies that robustly support the synthesis, storage, and dissemination of their secretory products. Observations confirm that the van der Vecht gland is exposed during gastral rubbing, but that the Richards’ gland and glands associated with the sting apparatus may also contribute to a marking pheromone. Workers briefly but repeatedly rubbed their gasters around hive entrances and on overhead vegetation. Colonies were heavily marked over consecutive attacks. Our findings provide insight into the use of exocrine secretions by giant hornets as they recruit nestmates to prey colonies for group attacks.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking the Morphology of Sternal Glands to Rubbing Behavior byVespa soror(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Workers During Recruitment for Group Predation

Mattila

Shimano

Otis

et al. 2021

Annals of the Entomological Society of America

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…TSG secretions are primarily utilized in bee cleaning and hygiene behaviors [ 10 ]. Moreover, wax glands are located in the abdominal segments of worker bees and are composed of numerous glandular lobes responsible for wax secretion, which is essential for nest construction and sealing [ 11 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumption of Citric Acid by Bees Promotes the Gland Development and Enhances Royal Jelly Quality

Wang,

Ji,

Zheng

et al. 2024

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The glands of bees are responsible for generating and secreting various biologically active substances that significantly impact bee physiological health and adaptability. This study aimed to investigate the effects of adding citric acid (CA) to bee feed on gland development and royal jelly quality. By formulating feed with varying proportions of CA, evaluation was undertaken of pollen feeding by honeybees under laboratory conditions, along with the impact of CA on the development of major glands, to determine suitable addition proportions. Further optimization of the CA proportion involved feeding colonies and evaluating royal jelly production and quality. The results indicated that feed containing 0.75% CA significantly extended the lifespan of bees and increased their pollen consumption. Gland development in bees showed a positive correlation with CA addition within the range of 0.25% to 0.75%, especially at 0.50% and 0.75%, which notably accelerated the development of mandibular, hypopharyngeal, and cephalic salivary glands, with active proliferation and differentiation of glandular cells and maintenance of normal gland size and morphology. CA added to feed stimulated vigorous secretion of wax glands in worker bees, resulting in prolific wax construction. Colonies consuming feed containing 0.50% CA produced royal jelly with significantly reduced moisture and total sugar content and increased levels of 10-HDA, total phenolic acids, total proteins, and acidity. These findings demonstrate that CA consumption significantly prolongs bee lifespan, increases consumption, promotes gland development, and enhances royal jelly quality. This research provides theoretical guidance for beekeeping practices and feed development, contributing to the sustainable advancement of apiculture.

show abstract

Comparative morphology and evolution of the cranial musculature in bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

Meira

Gonçalves

2021

Arthropod Structure & Development

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Would wax glands help us to understand the relationships among corbiculate bees?

Cited by 5 publications

References 20 publications

Linking the Morphology of Sternal Glands to Rubbing Behavior byVespa soror(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Workers During Recruitment for Group Predation

Linking the Morphology of Sternal Glands to Rubbing Behavior byVespa soror(Hymenoptera: Vespidae) Workers During Recruitment for Group Predation

Consumption of Citric Acid by Bees Promotes the Gland Development and Enhances Royal Jelly Quality

Comparative morphology and evolution of the cranial musculature in bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About