Tegumentary epithelial glands in the abdomen of virgin and physogastric queens of the stingless bee Scaptotrigona postica Latreille (Meliponini: Trigonina)
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Data
2005-02-01
Autores
Abdalla, Fábio Camargo [UNESP]
Cruz-Landim, Carminda da [UNESP]
Gracioli, Luciana F. [UNESP]
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Editor
Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil
Resumo
Nas operárias das abelhas eussociais, regiões do epitélio tegumentar do abdome podem hipertrofiar-se e tornarem-se glandulares, sendo responsáveis pela produção de cera usada na contrução dos alvéolos de cria. Nos meliponíneos, epitélio com essas características também foi observado nas rainhas, porém sua função ainda continua desconhecida. Teria esse epitélio função homóloga nas operárias? As rainhas, além da função reprodutiva, desempenhariam funções na colônia até então consideradas exclusivas das operárias? Para tentar colaborar no esclarecimento dessas questões realizou-se um estudo histológico e ultra-estrutural das glândulas epiteliais tegumentares do terceiro tergito em rainhas virgens e fisogástricas de Scaptotrigona postica Latreille. Os resultados morfológicos mostraram que o epitélio glandular existe e é facilmente discernível no terceiro tergito das rainhas, sendo muito mais desenvolvido nas fisogástricas do que nas virgens. A ultra-estrutura mostrou que há diferenças no tipo de organização do retículo endoplasmático liso entre as rainhas, o que, juntamente com os resultados da histologia e morfometria, indicam poder haver diferenças funcionais desse epitélio entre elas. Como já observado na literatura, nas rainhas virgens tal epitélio pode estar envolvido na produção de cera e confecção de alvéolos de cria, porém sua função nas rainhas fisogástricas é totalmente desconhecida. A hipótese lançada no presente estudo é de que esse epitélio pode estar envolvido na produção de feromônios que irão atuar nas interações sociais da rainha poedeira.
In the eusocial worker bees, portions of the epithelium of the abdominal epidermis may become hypertrophied and glandular, and produce the wax used to build the brood alveoli. In meliponine bees, the presence of similar epithelium was already observed in the queens, but its function is still unknown. Would this epithelium have homologous function in the workers? May the queens display other functions, besides reproduction, related to those considered exclusive of workers? In order to contribute to solve these questions, a histological and ultrastructural study of the tegumentary epithelial glands of the third tergite was carried out in virgins and physogastric queens of Scaptotrigona postica Latreille. The glandular tegumentary epithelium was easily discernible in the third tergite of the queens, being much more developed in physogastric than in virgin queens. The ultrastructural differences in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum between the queens, additionally to the histological and morphometrical data, indicate that this epithelium may have functional differences between the queen types. As already known, the virgin queens may produce wax and build brood alveoli, but the role of this epithelium in physogastric queens is totally unknown. A hypothesis considered in the present study is that the epithelium may be involved in production of pheromones, which may play roles in the social interaction of the laying queen.
In the eusocial worker bees, portions of the epithelium of the abdominal epidermis may become hypertrophied and glandular, and produce the wax used to build the brood alveoli. In meliponine bees, the presence of similar epithelium was already observed in the queens, but its function is still unknown. Would this epithelium have homologous function in the workers? May the queens display other functions, besides reproduction, related to those considered exclusive of workers? In order to contribute to solve these questions, a histological and ultrastructural study of the tegumentary epithelial glands of the third tergite was carried out in virgins and physogastric queens of Scaptotrigona postica Latreille. The glandular tegumentary epithelium was easily discernible in the third tergite of the queens, being much more developed in physogastric than in virgin queens. The ultrastructural differences in the smooth endoplasmic reticulum between the queens, additionally to the histological and morphometrical data, indicate that this epithelium may have functional differences between the queen types. As already known, the virgin queens may produce wax and build brood alveoli, but the role of this epithelium in physogastric queens is totally unknown. A hypothesis considered in the present study is that the epithelium may be involved in production of pheromones, which may play roles in the social interaction of the laying queen.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Cera, abelha, meliponíneo, histologia, microscopia, Wax, meliponine, histology, microscopy
Como citar
Neotropical Entomology. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil, v. 34, n. 1, p. 41-45, 2005.