2010/03/30 by Jan Šobotník, Thomas Bourguignon, Robert Hanus +2 · 2 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior #Plant and animal studies #Insect and Pesticide Research #Biology #Eusociality #Anatomy #Function (biology) #Zoology #Evolutionary biology #Hymenoptera
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01392.x
openalex publication_date 2010/03/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
The soldier caste represents the most conspicuous realization of termite eusociality, characterized by an extreme anatomical, behavioural, and physiological specialization. Numerous strategies have evolved in soldiers, including extreme adaptations such as self-sacrifice by autothysis. In the present study, we investigated the structure and function of defensive glands in Glossotermes oculatus soldiers aiming to understand their use in combat. Three glands are involved in defence: labral, frontal, and labial glands. Mandibles are used to bite the enemy, whereas the secretions of labral and labial glands are discharged into the wound. A striking characteristic of G. oculatus is the lack of the frontal pore; the secretion of the frontal gland is discharged by a rupture of the body wall. We hypothesized that this self-sacrifice is an efficient way of blocking a gallery under attack. A similar development of the frontal gland occurs in Serritermes serrifer, which supports the close relationship between the two genera inferred from morphological and genetic analyses.