Fat Body Cells of Gynes and Queens of Four Species of Fungus Growing Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini); Relationship with the Vitellogenesis

Abstract

The morphometric analysis of fat body cells of gynes of Cyphomyrmex rimosus and Mycetarotes parallelus and queens of Acromyrmex disciger and Atta laevigata revealed significant differences in area of parietal and perivisceral trophocytes in all studied species. This was also observed for parietal and perivisceral oenocytes. No differences, however, were observed when the areas of oenocytes of gynes are compared. The morphological study revealed that parietal and perivisceral trophocytes of gynes and queens were spherical or polygonal in shape and exhibited several vacuoles and a nucleus, often irregular in shape. These cells contained proteins, lipids and neutral polysaccharides. In gynes, however, histochemical tests for the former two components were weakly positive, as opposed to the observed in queens. Parietal and perivisceral oenocytes in all studied species were mostly spherical and exhibited vacuoles, especially in C. rimosus and A. laevigata, in which larger quantities of vacuoles were observed. The nuclei of oenocytes in gynes were spherical or oval in shape, while in queens, most were irregular. The cytoplasm of oenocytes was strongly stained for proteins and weakly stained for neutral polysaccharides in all studied species. Compared to queens, weak staining for lipids was observed in gynes.