Abstract
The wax layer covering the insect's cuticle plays an important protective role, as for example, uncontrolled water loss. In social insects, wax production is well-known in some bees that use it for nest building. Curiously, mated-fertile queens of the ant Ectatomma tuberculatum produce an uncommon extra-wax coat and, consequently queens (mated-fertile females) are matte due to such extra cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) coat that covers the cuticle and masks the brightness of the queens' cuticle while gynes (virgin-infertile queens) are shiny. In this study, histological analysis showed differences in the epidermis between fertile (i.e., queens or gynes with highly ovarian activity) and infertile females (gynes or workers with non developed ovaries). In fertile females the epidermis is a single layer of cubic cells found in all body segments whereas in infertile females it is a thin layer of flattened cells. Ultrastructural features showed active secretory tissue from fertile females similar to the glandular epithelium of wax-producing bees (type I gland). Different hypotheses related to the functions of the glandular epithelium exclusive to the E. tuberculatum fertile queens are discussed.
Highlights
The cuticle of insects is characterized by its rigidity and its multifunctional role includes protection against natural enemies and environmental constraints [e.g. 1,2]
A recent study states the glandular role of the epidermis in the abdominal sternites of Dinoponera lucida (Ponerinae) and among the functions hypothesized for this gland in such species comprise the synthesis, transfer and/ or the transformation of the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) after production by oenocytes [40]. This last function could explain, for example, the differences on CHC profiles found between reproductive dominant and nonreproductive subordinate individuals [40]. In light of this assumption we have investigated in the present study the relation of the epidermis and the female reproductive status in E. tuberculatum, i.e., if the ovarian development linked to the extra CHC production [24] corresponds to changes on the glandular aspect of the epidermis
The epidermis of all mated-fertile queens of E. tuberculatum inspected clearly differed from those found to typical shiny gynes and workers, and such difference was observed for all samples
Summary
The cuticle of insects is characterized by its rigidity and its multifunctional role includes protection against natural enemies and environmental constraints [e.g. 1,2]. The outer surface of an insect’s cuticle is a thin wax layer that plays an important protective role [3]. The presence of a large amount of wax on the cuticle surface is common in scale insects (Hemiptera) and provides mechanical protection and defense [4,5]. In some coccinellid (Coleoptera) and sawfly (Hymenoptera) larvae white tufts of wax render the insect unpleasant and deter attacks by natural enemies [6,7,8,9,10]. Wax production is well-known in honey bees, bumble bees and stingless bees that use it for nest building [11]. Esters are the major constituents of wax that are released by bees [12], which are released by epidermal glands [13,14,15]
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