Dufour's gland

Definition

An exocrine gland associated with the ovipositor or sting apparatus in female Apocrita (wasps, bees, and ants), opening near the base of the sting shaft or ovipositor valves. It produces a diverse array of semiochemicals—including trail pheromones, alarm substances, nestmate recognition cues, and antimicrobial compounds—whose specific chemistry varies dramatically across hymenopteran lineages. The gland is absent in non-apocritan Hymenoptera and represents a key evolutionary innovation of the stinging wasp clade.

Etymology

Named for French entomologist Léon Jean Marie Dufour, who first described the structure in 1841.

Example

In the fire ant Solenopsis invicta, the Dufour's gland secretes a mixture of alkanes and alkenes that, when deposited with the sting, functions as a recruitment trail pheromone and also contains antibacterial compounds that help preserve stored food in the nest.

Synonyms

• abdominal gland (context-specific)

Related Terms

• ovipositor
• sting apparatus
• venom gland
• acid gland
• Koshewnikov's gland
• Pheromone
• Semiochemical
• Exocrine gland
• Apocrita

Usage Notes

The gland's secretions are distinct from venom (produced by the venom gland, formerly 'acid gland') and are often released through the same sting canal but serve communicative or protective rather than offensive functions. The term is sometimes used loosely in older literature for similar glands in other insects, but modern usage restricts it to Apocrita. In ants, Dufour's gland secretions are commonly studied in chemical ecology and social behavior research.