Ultrastructure of the intramandibular gland of workers and queens of the stingless bee, Melipona quadrifasciata
1Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 13506-
900 Rio Claro, Brazil
2Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências de Rio Claro, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), 13506-
900 Rio Claro, Brazil
3Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural e Funcional, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR), Campus de
Sorocaba, 18052-780 Sorocaba, Brazil
Abstract
The intramandibular glands of workers and queens of Melipona quadrifasciata Lepeletier (Hymenoptera: Apidae), at different ages and from different functional groups, were studied using light and transmission electron microscopy. The results demonstrated that these glands are composed of two types of secretory structures: 1.A hypertrophied epidermis on the dorsal side of the mandible that is an epithelial gland. 2. Free secretory cells filling the inner spaces of the appendices that constitute a unicellular gland. The epithelial gland is larger in the young (1-2- day-old workers), and the gland becomes involuted during the nurse worker stage. The unicellular glands of the workers posses some secretion during all of the studied phases, but secretory activity is more intensive in the foraging workers. Vesicles of secretion are absent in the unicellular glands of queens. These results demonstrate that these glands show functional adaptations in different castes corresponding to the functions of each caste.
Keywords: exocrine glands, light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, morphology, workers phases
Abbreviations: LM, light microscopy; RER, rough endoplasm reticulum; SER, smooth endoplasm reticulum; TEM, transmission electron microscopy
Correspondence:
a* cclandim@rc.unesp.br,
b lucifg@rc.unesp.br,
c fabdalla@ufscar.br, *Corresponding author
Received: 5 March 2010 | Accepted: 10 October 2010 | Published: 24 August 2011
Copyright: This is an open access paper. We use the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license that permits unrestricted use, provided that the paper is properly attributed.
ISSN: 1536-2442 | Volume 11, Number 107
Cruz-Landim C, Gracioli-Vitti LF, Abdalla FC. 2011. Ultrastructure of the intramandibular gland of workers and queens of the stingless bee, Melipona quadrifasciata. Journal of Insect Science 11:107 available online: insectscience.org/11.107
 Figure 1 |
 Figure 2 |
 Figure 3 |
 Figure 4 |
 Figure 5 |