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Comparative morphology of the head glands in species of Protepeolini and Emphorini (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

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Abstract

The tribe Protepeolini is formed by parasitic bees with Leiopodus being the only genus of the tribe. Protepeolini bees parasitize the nests of members of the tribe Emphorini. Secretions of the head glands are important to the biology of bees as they may act as chemical signals in parasitism strategies. In this paper, we describe the morphology and histoarchitecture of head glands in three Protepeolini species and compare them with those of their Emphorini hosts. Mandibular and hypopharingeal glands were identified , but no head salivary glands were observed. Only parasitic species displayed sexual dimorphism in the morphology of mandibular glands, with males showing well-developed secretory portions and a characteristic organization of the secretory tissue which was previously unknown in bees. The possible role of mandibular head glands is discussed in relationship to behavioral parameters of Leiopodus.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Arturo H. Roig-Alsina for helpful comments on the MS. Thanks are also due to Fabian Tricarico (SEM-MACN) and Patricia Bustingorry for technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Avenida Ángel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Gerónimo L. Galvani & Beatriz P. Settembrini

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad Austral, Presidente Perón 1500, B1629AHJ, Pilar, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Gerónimo L. Galvani & Beatriz P. Settembrini

Authors
  1. Gerónimo L. Galvani
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  2. Beatriz P. Settembrini
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Correspondence to Beatriz P. Settembrini.

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Manuscript editor: Klaus Hartfelder

Morphologie comparative des glandes céphaliques chez des espèces de Protepeolini et d’Emphorini (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Immunochimie / glandes céphaliques / étude comparative / Leiopodus

Vergleichende Morphologie der Kopfdruesen von Arten der Protepeolini und Emphorini (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Protepeolini / Emphorini / Kopfdruesen / Immuncytochemie

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Galvani, G.L., Settembrini, B.P. Comparative morphology of the head glands in species of Protepeolini and Emphorini (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Apidologie 44, 367–381 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0188-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-012-0188-z

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