The soil-feeding habit is an evolutionary novelty found in some advanced groups of termites. The study of such groups is important to revealing interesting adaptations to this way-of-life. The genus Verrucositermes is one such example, characterized by peculiar outgrowths on the head capsule, antennae and maxillary palps, which are not found in any other termite. These structures have been hypothesized to be linked to the presence of a new exocrine organ, the rostral gland, whose structure has remained unexplored. We have thus studied the ultrastructure of the epidermal layer of the head capsule of Verrucositermes tuberosus soldiers. We describe the ultrastructure of the rostral gland, which consists of class 3 secretory cells only. The dominant secretory organelles comprise rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus, which provide secretions delivered to the surface of the head, likely made of peptide-derived components of unclear function. We discuss a possible role of the rostral gland of soldiers as an adaptation to the frequent encounter with soil pathogens during search for new food resources.

Czech University of Life Sciences Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences 165 00 Prague 6 Suchdol Czech Republic

Département des Sciences Biologiques Ecole Normale Supérieure Université de Yaoundé 1 Yaoundé Cameroon

Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin 14195 Berlin Germany

Institute of Biology Freie Universität Berlin 14195 Berlin Germany; Department for Materials and the Environment BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing 12205 Berlin Germany

Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology LEEC UR 4443 University Sorbonne Paris Nord 93430 Villetaneuse France

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