title: Intramandibular glands in different castes of leaf-cutting ant, Atta laevigata (Fr. Smith, 1858) (Formicidae: Attini).
abstract: Intramandibular glands have been poorly studied in polymorphic ants, where the differences between castes were unsufficiently scrutinized. Leaf-cutting ants possess one of the most complex systems of communication and labor division, which is polymorphic well as age polyethism, and makes them an ideal model for the study of intramandibular glands. This study has investigated the occurrence of intramandibular glands in female castes and subcastes of Atta laevigata. The mandibles of the queen, medium, and minor workers, and soldiers were submitted to histological, histochemical, ultrastructural, and morphometric analyses. The class-3 gland cells and the epidermal gland with a reservoir were found in all the castes. The queens and soldiers showed a higher number of class-3 gland cells, distributed within the mandible as well as a greater gland size in comparison to the workers. The histochemical tests, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), mercury-bromophenol, and Nile blue, were similar for the class-3 gland cells and epidermal glands with a reservoir. However, the tests evidenced differences between the castes, with carbohydrates strongly positive in all of them, whereas neutral lipids were found in the queen and soldiers. The protein was weakly positive in the queen, whereas in the soldier, medium, and minor workers these reactions were strongly positive in the intramandibular glands. Our findings in A. laevigata suggest that intramandibular glands are directly involved in labor division and consequently in chemical communication between the castes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Qúmica e Biologia, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, 65604-375, Caxias, MA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiza Carla Barbosa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal De Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Terezinha Maria Castro
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Della Lucia
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Mirmecologia, Convênio CEPLAC/UESC, CEPEC, Itabuna, BA, 45600-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wagner Gonzaga
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Mirmecologia, Convênio CEPLAC/UESC, CEPEC, Itabuna, BA, 45600-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jacques Hubert Charles
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Delabie
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal De Viçosa, 36570-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Cola
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Zanuncio
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Mirmecologia, Convênio CEPLAC/UESC, CEPEC, Itabuna, BA, 45600-000, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Eduardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Serrão
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification* / Q000378:metabolism; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006654:Histology, Comparative; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins
keywords: ant; exocrine gland; mandible