Andrade Thito Thomston, Gonçalves Wagner Gonzaga, Serrão José Eduardo, Martins Luiza Carla Barbosa
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade, Ambiente e Saúde, Departamento de Biologia e Química, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, Caxias, Maranhão, Brazil.
Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Microsc Res Tech. 2019 Jun;82(6):941-948. doi: 10.1002/jemt.23242. Epub 2019 Mar 22.
The ant Paraponera clavata (Fabricius, 1775) is the only extant species of Paraponerinae and is widely distributed in Brazilian forests. Aspects of its biology are documented extensively in the literature; however, knowledge of P. clavata internal morphology, specifically of exocrine glands, is restricted to the venom apparatus. The objective of this study was to describe the mandibular gland morphology of P. clavata workers. The mandibular gland is composed of a reservoir connected to a cluster of Type III secretory cells with cytoplasm rich in mitochondria and lipid droplets, similar to that of other ants. Notably, the glandular secretion is rich in protein and has a solid aspect. This is the first morphological description of the mandibular gland of P. clavata. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This study presents the morphological description of the mandibular gland of Paraponera clavata (Hymenoptera: Paraponerinae). Singular characteristics of the gland are described: the glandular secretion is rich in protein and has a solid aspect.
蚂蚁类的南美切叶蚁（Paraponera clavata，法布尔，1775年）是Paraponerinae亚科唯一现存的物种，广泛分布于巴西森林。其生物学的各个方面在文献中有广泛记载；然而，关于南美切叶蚁的内部形态，特别是外分泌腺的知识，仅限于毒腺。本研究的目的是描述南美切叶蚁工蚁的下颌腺形态。下颌腺由一个储液器组成，该储液器与一组III型分泌细胞相连，这些细胞的细胞质富含线粒体和脂滴，与其他蚂蚁的情况类似。值得注意的是，腺体分泌物富含蛋白质且呈固态。这是对南美切叶蚁下颌腺的首次形态学描述。研究亮点：本研究展示了南美切叶蚁（膜翅目：Paraponerinae亚科）下颌腺的形态学描述。描述了该腺体的独特特征：腺体分泌物富含蛋白质且呈固态。
