title: New exocrine glands in ants: the hypostomal gland and basitarsal gland in the genus Melissotarsus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).
abstract: Fisher and Robertson (Insect Soc 46: 78-83, 1999) discovered the production of silk-like secretions emerging from slit-shaped openings along the anterior margin of the ventral hypostoma of Melissotarsus ant workers. The current histological study describes a hitherto unknown hypostomal gland from which this silk-like substance originates. In addition, this study describes a new basitarsal gland in the three pairs of legs of Melissotarsus workers.
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874501, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA, Bert.Hoelldobler@asu.edu.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hölldobler
authors.forename: Malu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Obermayer
authors.forename: Nicola J R
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Plowes
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning