Exocrine glands play important role in social organization of insects, such as caste and inter-caste differentiation. Due their functional and structural plasticity, morphological studies on such glands contribute to better understanding the biology of social bees. Therefore, the aim of the study was to characterize the sequence of the post-embryonic development of intramandibular glands of Friesella schrottkyi (Friese, 1900) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) workers using histological and histochemical

more »

... lyses. The mandibles of pupae at different developmental stages and newly emerged adults were analyzed. The intramandibular glands of F. schrottkyi presented two types: class I glands, in the mandible epidermis and class III glands, inside the mandible cavity that open onto external surface. The intramandibular glands of F. schrottkyi developed during the transition from the prepupae to the white-eyed pupae, as shown by the morphological changes. Black-eyed pupae of F. schrottkyi presented fully developed intramandibular glands.