General morphology and ultrastructure of the venom apparatus and convoluted gland of the fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima

Eduardo Gonçalves Paterson Fox1a, Odair Correa Bueno1b, Antônio Teruyoshi Yabuki1c, Carlos Massuretti de Jesus1d, Daniel Russ Solis1e, Mônica Lanzoni Rossi2f, Neusa de Lima Nogueira2g

1Centro de Estudos de Insetos Sociais, UNESP, Rio Claro – SP
2Laboratório de Histopatologia e Biologia Estrutural de Plantas, USP, Piracicaba – SP

Abstract

A group of 13 species of the genus Solenopsis is markedly difficult to assess taxonomically, although they are of considerable economical and medical importance in some countries where some of them were introduced. These ants are aggressive and their venomous stings can be very allergenic. The venom apparatus has been described in fine detail for only two of these species, and differences in this structure among the different species might prove useful as taxonomic characters. The venom apparatus of Solenopsis saevissima Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) is herein described with the aid of light and electron microscopy techniques, and compared to that of S. invicta and S. richteri. The cellular organization of the different parts present differences that suggest functional specialization. In general, the different tissues were abundant in vesiculae and mitochondria, but presented little endoplasmic reticulum and few ribosomes, probably because they produce little protein. The length of the free filaments of the venom gland and the width of their internal ducts seems to vary from what was described for S. richteri, but this may be of little use to taxonomy.

Keywords: Solenopsidini, internal anatomy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy
Abreviations: SEM, scanning electron microscopy, TEM, transmission electron microscopy

Correspondence: aofoxofox@gmail.com, bodaircb@rc.unesp.br, catyabuki@rc.unesp.br, dmassuretti@gmail.com, eentomo75@yahoo.com, fmonicalr@cena.usp.br, gnogueira@cena.usp.br

Received: 21 May 2008 | Accepted: 14 August 2008 | Published: ************** 2010

ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 10, Number 24

Fox EGP, Bueno OC, Yabuki AT, Jesus CM, Solis DR, Rossi ML, Nogueira NL. 2010. General morphology and ultrastructure of the venom apparatus and convoluted gland of the fire ant, Solenopsis saevissima. 11pp. Journal of Insect Science 10:24, available online: insectscience.org/10.24


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