Exocrine glands in the antennae of the carabid beetle, Platynus assimilis (Paykull) 1790 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Pterostichinae)

Abstract

The antennae of males and females of the carabid beetle, Platynus, contain numerous type-III gland acini composed of two different gland cells and a canal cell. The findings show that antennal glands are not only found in highly specialized groups, but also in beetles thought to represent ancestral character states. However, in most cases the function of these glands is not well understood.