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Salivary glands

honey bee salivary glands

Dissected salivary glands (also called labial glands) of honey bee worker. After Snodgrass (1956, fig. 21cde) Anatomy of the honey bee,
, Ithaca, p.334, (1956)
[1], Cruz-Landim (1967) Estudo comparativo de algumas glândulas das abelhas (Hymenoptera, Apoidea) e respectivas implicações evolutivas,
Arq. Zool.
, Volume 15, p.177–290, (1967)
[2]. (scale bar = 1 mm)

HGld - head salivary gland (also called postcerebral gland or cephalic salivary gland)
Res - reservoir of thoracic salivary gland
slDct - common salivary duct
ThGld - thoracic salivary gland


The salivary gland system comprises two pairs of exocrine glands, one in the head (head salivary glands) and one in the thorax (thoracic salivary gland). The glands are connected by common salivary duct to salivary pocket (salivarium) at the base of labium (see also side view of salivary glands). The head and thoracic glands differ in protein expression Functional analysis of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) salivary system using proteomics,
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
, Volume 397, Number 4, p.740–744, (2010)
[3].

Salivary glands are well developed in queens and workers; in drones they are small Morphologie und Physiologie der Drusen in Kopf und Thorax der Honigbiene,
Z. wiss. Zool.
, Volume 139, p.120-200, (1931)
[4]Über das „Spritzen" der Bienen und über die Konzentrationsänderung ihres Honigblaseninhalts,
Z Vergl Physiol
, Volume 28, Number 3, p.197–210, (1940)
[5]The salivary glands of Apis mellifera and their significance in caste determination,
Symposia Genetica et Biologica Italica
, Volume 10, p.173–188, (1962)
[6]Cephalic salivary glands of two species of advanced eusocial bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): morphology and secretion,
Zoologia
, Volume 27, Number 6, p.979–985, (2010)
[7]. Salivary glands of workers are more active when they are foraging Task-related chemical analysis of labial gland volatile secretion in worker honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica),
Journal of Chemical Ecology
, Volume 27, Number 5, p.919–926, (2001)
[8]Cephalic salivary glands of two species of advanced eusocial bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): morphology and secretion,
Zoologia
, Volume 27, Number 6, p.979–985, (2010)
[7]Changes in the size of cephalic salivary glands of Apis mellifera and Scaptotrigona postica (Hymenoptera: Apidae) queens and workers in different life phases,
Zoologia
, Volume 27, Number 6, p.961–964, (2010)
[9] see also Zymotic function of the pharyngeal, thoracic and post-cerebral glands of Apis mellifica,
Biochemical Journal
, Volume 34, Number 10-11, p.1415-1418, (1940)
[10]. Head salivary glands of queens become more active when they start egg laying Cephalic salivary glands of two species of advanced eusocial bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): morphology and secretion,
Zoologia
, Volume 27, Number 6, p.979–985, (2010)
[7]Changes in the size of cephalic salivary glands of Apis mellifera and Scaptotrigona postica (Hymenoptera: Apidae) queens and workers in different life phases,
Zoologia
, Volume 27, Number 6, p.961–964, (2010)
[9]. In drones head salivary glands degenerate when they become sexually mature Cephalic salivary glands of two species of advanced eusocial bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): morphology and secretion,
Zoologia
, Volume 27, Number 6, p.979–985, (2010)
[7]Morphological changes in the cephalic salivary glands of females and males of Apis mellifera and Scaptotrigona postica (Hymenoptera, Apidae),
Journal of Biosciences
, Volume 35, Number 2, p.249–255, (2010)
[11].

Head salivary glands produce oily secretion The functions of the salivary glands of Apis mellifera,
J. Insect Physiol.
, Volume 4, p.107-121, (1960)
[12]Nouvelles données sur l'équipement enzymatique des glandes salivaires de l'ouvrière d'Apis mellifica (Hymenoptere Apide),
Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zool. Biol. Anim.
, Volume 20, p.401-422, (1978)
[13] which contains mixture of hydrocarbons Kin recognition in honeybees,
Nature
, Volume 379, p.498, (1996)
[14]Task-related chemical analysis of labial gland volatile secretion in worker honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica),
Journal of Chemical Ecology
, Volume 27, Number 5, p.919–926, (2001)
[8], imaginal disc growth factor 4 Functional analysis of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) salivary system using proteomics,
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
, Volume 397, Number 4, p.740–744, (2010)
[3]. It was suggested that it is used to: soften wax Die Hautdrüsen der Apiden und verwandter Formen,
Zool. Jahr. Anat.
, Volume 43, p.369-464, (1922)
[15] and lubricate mouthparts The functions of the salivary glands of Apis mellifera,
J. Insect Physiol.
, Volume 4, p.107-121, (1960)
[12]. The head salivary glands can be a source of cuticular hydrocarbons Task-related chemical analysis of labial gland volatile secretion in worker honeybees (Apis mellifera ligustica),
Journal of Chemical Ecology
, Volume 27, Number 5, p.919–926, (2001)
[8]Cephalic salivary glands of two species of advanced eusocial bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae): morphology and secretion,
Zoologia
, Volume 27, Number 6, p.979–985, (2010)
[7]. The secretion can be added to royal jelly Functional analysis of the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) salivary system using proteomics,
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
, Volume 397, Number 4, p.740–744, (2010)
[3].

Les glandes salivaires de la̓beille et des apiaires en général,
, Montfavet, p.64, (1928)
[16]The source of the saliva honeybees use to moisten materials they chew with their mandibles,
Journal of Apicultural Research
, Volume 2, Number 2, p.115–116, (1963)
[17]Anatomy and ultrastructure of the salivary gland in the thorax of the honeybee worker, Apis mellifera (Insecta, Hymenoptera),
Zoomorphology
, Volume 109, Number 4, p.211–222, (1990)
[18]Cephalic salivary gland ultrastructure of worker and queen eusocial bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae),
Animal Biology
, Volume 59, Number 3, p.299–311, (2009)
[19]Novel aspects of understanding molecular working mechanisms of salivary glands of worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) investigated by proteomics and phosphoproteomics,
Journal of Proteomics
, p.(in press), (2013)
[20]