The clypeal gland: a new exocrine gland in termite imagoes (Isoptera: Serritermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae)
| Autor: | Thomas Bourguignon, Blahoslava Vytisková, Barbora Křížková, Jan Šobotník |
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| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: |
Male
medicine.medical_specialty Exocrine gland media_common.quotation_subject Clypeus Zoology Insect Isoptera Exocrine Glands stomatognathic system Species Specificity Internal medicine medicine Animals Secretion Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics media_common biology General Medicine biology.organism_classification Termitidae Endocrinology medicine.anatomical_structure Insect Science Sex pheromone Ultrastructure Microscopy Electron Scanning Female Rhinotermitidae Developmental Biology |
| Zdroj: | Arthropod structuredevelopment. 43(6) |
| ISSN: | 1873-5495 |
| Popis: | Social insects possess a rich set of exocrine organs producing diverse pheromones and defensive compounds. This is especially true for termite imagoes, which are equipped with several glands producing, among others, sex pheromones and defensive compounds protecting imagoes during the dispersal flight and colony foundation. Here, we describe the clypeal gland, a new termite exocrine organ occurring in the labro-clypeal region of imagoes of most Rhinotermitidae, Serritermitidae and Termitidae species. The clypeal gland of Coptotermes testaceus consists of class 1 (modified epidermal cell) and class 3 (bicellular gland unit) secretory cells. Ultrastructural features suggest that the gland secretes volatile compounds and proteins, probably after starting the reproduction. One peculiar feature of the gland is the presence of multiple secretory canals in a single canal cell, a feature never observed before in other insect glands. Although the function of the gland remains unknown, we hypothesize that it could produce secretion signalling the presence of functional reproductives or their need to be fed. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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