Summary
Ants of the subfamily Dolichoderinae possess four major abdominal glands. The lack of a functional sting probably explains the rather moderate development of the sting associated poison and Dufour's glands. The extremely large pygidial gland has become the main source of the dolichoderine defensive secretions, while the Pavan's gland, when present, produces the trail substances.
The large tergal gland between tergites 6 and 7, formerly called the anal gland, due to its anatomical position and general morphological characteristics, is homologous to the pygidial gland, which is found inaall other ant subfamilies. Pavan's gland, on the other hand, is apparently a peculiarity to the Dolichoderinae and Aneuretinae. The sac-like appearence of the Pavan's gland only represents the resevoir part, while the real secretory component of the gland is to be located in the thickened epithelium of the seventh abdominal sternite.
Ultrastructural examination reveals a well-developed smooth endoplasmic reticulum along with numerous mitochondria as the major cytoplasmic constituents in the pygidial, Dufour's and Pavan's gland. Both characters can be related to the lipophilic secretion of these glands, while the moderately developed granular endoplasmic reticulum of the poison gland secretory cells may point to some protein synthesis. Both the pygidial and poison gland are comprised of individual secretory units with a glandular cell and its own duct cell, while the Dufour's and Pavan's gland correspond to the glandular epithelium type.
Resume
Les fourmis appartenant à la sous-famille des Dolichoderinae possèdent quatre glandes abdominales principales. La taille plutôt médiocre de la glande de Dufour et de la glande à venin est probablement liée à l'absence d'un aiguillon fonctionnel. La glande pygidiale très grande est chez ces fourmis la source des substances défensives la plus importante, tandis que les phéromones de piste sont sécrétées par la glande de pavan.
Sa dénomination comme glande pygidiale est justifiée par la position anatomique et les caractères morphologiques en général, ce qui réfute l'hypothèse d'une glande anale qui serait propre aux espèces dolichodérines. La glande de Pavan par contre semble être une structure unique parmi les Dolichoderinae et Aneuretinae. Le sac comme on l'a décrit auparavant ne constitue que le réservoir de la glande de Pavan, alors que la partie sécrétrice correspond à l'épithélium épaissi du septième sternite.
Des recherches ultrastructurales révèlent un réticulum endoplasmique lisse bien développé et de nombreuses mitochondries dans la glande pygidiale, la glande de Dufour et la glande de Pavan. Ces caractères s'accordent avec la sécrétion lipophile dans ces glandes, tandis que l'ergastoplasme plutôt médiocre dans les cellules sécrétrices de la glande à venin indique une production de protéines. La glande pygidiale et la glande à venin sont composées d'unités sécrétrices individuelles comprenant une cellule glandulaire et une cellule du canalicule. La glande de Dufour et la glande de Pavan sont formées par des épithéliums glandulaires.
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Billen, J. Morphology and ultrastructure of the abdominal glands in Dolichoderine ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Ins. Soc 33, 278–295 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224246
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224246