title: Tergal glands in termite soldiers of the subfamily Syntermitinae (Isoptera: Termitidae).
abstract: The subfamily Syntermitinae comprises 14 genera of termites that are exclusively neotropical. The present study reports morphological data about mandibulate nasute soldiers from termite species belonging to three different genera within this subfamily. We describe tergal glands that were present under all tergites of soldiers of the following species: Cornitermes cumulans, Procornitermes araujoi, Syntermes nanus, and Syntermes wheeleri. The tergal glands were composed of class 2 and class 3 cells. Class 2 cells never reached the cuticle and were located below a flat layer of epidermal cells. Class 3 cells, composed of secretory cells and canal cells, were sporadic, whereas class 2 secretory cells were abundant. Secretory cells of class 3 were narrow and their cytoplasms were filled with several clear, oval-shaped vesicles with limiting membranes. The ultrastructure of class 2 cells showed well-developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, elongated mitochondria, several electron-lucent vesicles, and electron-dense granules that contain paracrystalline structures in S. nanus. Scanning electron micrographs displayed pores, campaniform sensilla and hairs in the outer cuticle of the soldier tergites. We hypothesize that soldier tergal glands may be involved in the production of defensive compounds, which occur in similar glands of certain cockroaches, or of primer pheromones, that might act in the regulation of soldier differentiation in the termite colony. To date, tergal glands have only been described in termite imagoes, and their occurrence in these soldiers of basal Syntermitinae implies a specific role in this caste that is still speculative and needs to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Univ Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Av. 24A, No. 1515, Bela Vista, Caixa Postal 199, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro - SP, Brazil. amcl@rc.unesp.br
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Costa-Leonardo
authors.forename: Ives
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Haifig
authors.forename: Lara Teixeira
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Laranjo
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D000818:Animals; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020049:Isoptera / Q000166:cytology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008853:Microscopy