Defensive role of secretion of ectal mandibular glands of the wasp Polistes dominulus

Angelo Fortunato; Roland Maile; Stefano Turillazzi; E. David Morgan; Gloriano Moneti; Graeme R. Jones; Giuseppe Pieraccini

doi:10.1023/A:1010393006831

Defensive role of secretion of ectal mandibular glands of the wasp Polistes dominulus

Angelo Fortunato, Roland Maile, Stefano Turillazzi, E. David Morgan, Gloriano Moneti, Graeme R. Jones, Giuseppe Pieraccini

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Ectal mandibular glands of insects are exocrine glands localized in the anterior-lateral region of the head, close to the base of the mandibles. In social wasps, the gland is composed of secretory cells and a reservoir into which the secretion accumulates. At the time of emission the secretion flows onto a specialized cuticular area on the outside of the base of the mandibles. Secretion of Polistes dominulus is emitted only when wasps are greatly disturbed or in the presence of predators, and its function seems to be mainly defensive. Morphometric studies did not reveal any size differences between the glands of the queens and those of the workers. GC-MS analyses of the glands identified 32 compounds, mainly acids and aldehydes in the range C₂-C₁₈. The overall odor, caused by the mixture of aldehydes, is distinct. Workers do not respond strongly to the odor. The secretion probably serves as a warning signal to vertebrate predators.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	569-579
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Chemical Ecology
Volume	27
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010393006831
State	Published - 2001
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Acids
Aldehydes
Colony defense
Ectal mandibular glands
Polistes dominulus
Social wasps

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Biochemistry

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title = "Defensive role of secretion of ectal mandibular glands of the wasp Polistes dominulus",

abstract = "Ectal mandibular glands of insects are exocrine glands localized in the anterior-lateral region of the head, close to the base of the mandibles. In social wasps, the gland is composed of secretory cells and a reservoir into which the secretion accumulates. At the time of emission the secretion flows onto a specialized cuticular area on the outside of the base of the mandibles. Secretion of Polistes dominulus is emitted only when wasps are greatly disturbed or in the presence of predators, and its function seems to be mainly defensive. Morphometric studies did not reveal any size differences between the glands of the queens and those of the workers. GC-MS analyses of the glands identified 32 compounds, mainly acids and aldehydes in the range C2-C18. The overall odor, caused by the mixture of aldehydes, is distinct. Workers do not respond strongly to the odor. The secretion probably serves as a warning signal to vertebrate predators.",

keywords = "Acids, Aldehydes, Colony defense, Ectal mandibular glands, Polistes dominulus, Social wasps",

author = "Angelo Fortunato and Roland Maile and Stefano Turillazzi and Morgan, {E. David} and Gloriano Moneti and Jones, {Graeme R.} and Giuseppe Pieraccini",

note = "Funding Information: Acknowledgments—This work was supported by the European Commission through the Social Evolution network of the Universities of Aarhus, Firenze, Keele, Sheffield, Uppsala, W{\"u}rzburg, and ETH Z{\"u}rich, through the Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) program (contract ERBFM- RXTC960072). Part of the research was also performed with funds from the Italian MURST (ex 60% and ex 40%). We thank Prof. Joan E. Strassmann and Dr. Rita Cervo who kindly revised an earlier version of this paper.",

year = "2001",

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language = "English (US)",

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pages = "569--579",

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AU - Fortunato, Angelo

AU - Maile, Roland

AU - Turillazzi, Stefano

AU - Morgan, E. David

AU - Moneti, Gloriano

AU - Jones, Graeme R.

AU - Pieraccini, Giuseppe

N1 - Funding Information: Acknowledgments—This work was supported by the European Commission through the Social Evolution network of the Universities of Aarhus, Firenze, Keele, Sheffield, Uppsala, Würzburg, and ETH Zürich, through the Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) program (contract ERBFM- RXTC960072). Part of the research was also performed with funds from the Italian MURST (ex 60% and ex 40%). We thank Prof. Joan E. Strassmann and Dr. Rita Cervo who kindly revised an earlier version of this paper.

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - Ectal mandibular glands of insects are exocrine glands localized in the anterior-lateral region of the head, close to the base of the mandibles. In social wasps, the gland is composed of secretory cells and a reservoir into which the secretion accumulates. At the time of emission the secretion flows onto a specialized cuticular area on the outside of the base of the mandibles. Secretion of Polistes dominulus is emitted only when wasps are greatly disturbed or in the presence of predators, and its function seems to be mainly defensive. Morphometric studies did not reveal any size differences between the glands of the queens and those of the workers. GC-MS analyses of the glands identified 32 compounds, mainly acids and aldehydes in the range C2-C18. The overall odor, caused by the mixture of aldehydes, is distinct. Workers do not respond strongly to the odor. The secretion probably serves as a warning signal to vertebrate predators.

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KW - Social wasps

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Defensive role of secretion of ectal mandibular glands of the wasp Polistes dominulus

Abstract

Keywords

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