Note on glands present in meliponinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) bees legs

Cruz-Landim, Carminda da; Moraes, Regina Lúcia Morelli Silva de; Salles, Heliana Clara; Reginato, Rejane Daniele

doi:10.1590/S0101-81751998000100014

Abstract

The present paper reports the presence of glandular structures in legs of some stingless bee species. The glands appear as: the epidermis transformation in a glandular epithelium as in basitarsus, an epithelial sac inside the segment as in the femur of queens or in the last tarsomere, as round glandular cells, scattered or forming groupments. The saculiform gland of femur is present only in queens, the other glands are present in males, queens and workers of the studied species, apparently without any type of polymorphism. This occurrence seems indicate that the function of these glands have not to do with the sociality or specific behavior of castes.

Hymenoptera; stingless bees; legs; glands

Note on glands present in meliponinae (Hymenoptera, Apidae) bees legs

Carminda da Cruz-Landim; Regina Lúcia Morelli Silva de Moraes; Heliana Clara Salles; Rejane Daniele Reginato

Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista. 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil

ABSTRACT

The present paper reports the presence of glandular structures in legs of some stingless bee species. The glands appear as: the epidermis transformation in a glandular epithelium as in basitarsus, an epithelial sac inside the segment as in the femur of queens or in the last tarsomere, as round glandular cells, scattered or forming groupments. The saculiform gland of femur is present only in queens, the other glands are present in males, queens and workers of the studied species, apparently without any type of polymorphism. This occurrence seems indicate that the function of these glands have not to do with the sociality or specific behavior of castes.

Key words: Hymenoptera, stingless bees, legs, glands

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AKNOWLEDGMENTS. Thanks are due to Dr. Vera Lúcia Imperatriz Fonseca from Departamento de Ecologia - Instituto de Biociências (USP) and Dr. Ronaldo Zucchi from Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade, FFCL (USP) for supplying most of the studied specimens.

Recebido em 28.II.1997; aceito em 13.IV.1998

Arnhart, L. 1923. Das krallenglied der Honigbiene. Arch. Benenk. 5:37-86
Bacchus, S. 1979. New exocrine gland on the legs of some Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera). Jour. Insect Morphol. & Embriol. 8:135-142.
Billen, J.P.J. 1984. Morphology of the tibial gland in the ant Crematogaster scutelaris. Naturwiss 71:234-235.
______. 1986. Etude morphologique des glandes tarsales chez la guêpe Polistes annularis (L.)(Vespidae, Polistinae). Actes Coll. Insectes Soc. 3:51-60.
Chauvin, R. 1962. Sur I' Epagine et sur les glandes tarsales d'Arnhart. Insectes Sociaux 9:1-5.
Cruz-Landim, C. & M.A.S. Cunha. 1965. Glande tarsale des abeille sans aiguillon. Comptes Rendus Ve Congresse UIEIS:219-225.
Cruz-Landim, C. & R.L.M. Silva de Moraes. 1994. Ultrastructural localization of new exocrine glands in legs of social Apinae (Hymenoptera) workers. Jour. Adv. Zool. 15:60-67.
Lensky, Y.; P. Cassier; A. Finked; C. Delone-Joulie & M. Levinsohn. 1985. The fine structure of the tarsal glands of the honeybee. Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera). Cell Tissue Res. 240:153-158.
Leuthold, R.H. 1969. Trail-laying from the tibial gland in Crematogaster ashemedi Mayir and Crematogaster scutellaris Olivier (Formicidae, Myrmicinae). Proceedings VI Congress IUSSI, Bern, p. 149.
Noirot, C. & A. Quennedey. 1974. Fine structure of Insect Epidermal glands. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 19:61-80.
Pouvreau, A. 1991. Morphology and histology of tarsal glands in bumble bees of the genera Bombus, Pyrobombus, and Megabombus. Can. Jour Zool. 69:866-872.
Stort, A.C.G. & C. Cruz-Landim. 1965. Glândulas dos apêndices locomotores do gênero Centris (Hymenoptera, Anthophoridae). Bol. Inst. Angola 21/23:5-14.
Walker, G.; A.B. Yule & J. Ratchiffe. 1985. The adhesive organ of the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria: a functional approach (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Jour. Zool. Ser. A. 205:297-307.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
10 July 2009
Date of issue
1998

History

Accepted
13 Apr 1998
Received
28 Feb 1997

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] Arnhart, L. 1923. Das krallenglied der Honigbiene. Arch. Benenk. 5:37-86

[2] Bacchus, S. 1979. New exocrine gland on the legs of some Rhinotermitidae (Isoptera). Jour. Insect Morphol. & Embriol. 8:135-142.

[3] Billen, J.P.J. 1984. Morphology of the tibial gland in the ant Crematogaster scutelaris. Naturwiss 71:234-235.

[4] ______. 1986. Etude morphologique des glandes tarsales chez la guêpe Polistes annularis (L.)(Vespidae, Polistinae). Actes Coll. Insectes Soc. 3:51-60.

[5] Chauvin, R. 1962. Sur I' Epagine et sur les glandes tarsales d'Arnhart. Insectes Sociaux 9:1-5.

[6] Cruz-Landim, C. & M.A.S. Cunha. 1965. Glande tarsale des abeille sans aiguillon. Comptes Rendus Ve Congresse UIEIS:219-225.

[7] Cruz-Landim, C. & R.L.M. Silva de Moraes. 1994. Ultrastructural localization of new exocrine glands in legs of social Apinae (Hymenoptera) workers. Jour. Adv. Zool. 15:60-67.

[8] Lensky, Y.; P. Cassier; A. Finked; C. Delone-Joulie & M. Levinsohn. 1985. The fine structure of the tarsal glands of the honeybee. Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera). Cell Tissue Res. 240:153-158.

[9] Leuthold, R.H. 1969. Trail-laying from the tibial gland in Crematogaster ashemedi Mayir and Crematogaster scutellaris Olivier (Formicidae, Myrmicinae). Proceedings VI Congress IUSSI, Bern, p. 149.

[10] Noirot, C. & A. Quennedey. 1974. Fine structure of Insect Epidermal glands. Ann. Rev. Entomol. 19:61-80.

[11] Pouvreau, A. 1991. Morphology and histology of tarsal glands in bumble bees of the genera Bombus, Pyrobombus, and Megabombus. Can. Jour Zool. 69:866-872.

[12] Stort, A.C.G. & C. Cruz-Landim. 1965. Glândulas dos apêndices locomotores do gênero Centris (Hymenoptera, Anthophoridae). Bol. Inst. Angola 21/23:5-14.

[13] Walker, G.; A.B. Yule & J. Ratchiffe. 1985. The adhesive organ of the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria: a functional approach (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Jour. Zool. Ser. A. 205:297-307.