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Anatomical and physiological evidence for polarisation vision in the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis

Author

  • Birgit Greiner
  • Thomas W. Cronin
  • Willi A. Ribi
  • William T. Wcislo
  • Eric Warrant

Summary, in English

The presence of a specialised dorsal rim area with an ability to detect the e-vector orientation of polarised light is shown for the first time in a nocturnal hymenopteran. The dorsal rim area of the halictid bee Megalopta genalis features a number of characteristic anatomical specialisations including an increased rhabdom diameter and a lack of primary screening pigments. Optically, these specialisations result in wide spatial receptive fields (Delta rho = 14 degrees), a common adaptation found in the dorsal rim areas of insects used to filter out interfering effects (i.e. clouds) from the sky. In this specialised eye region all nine photoreceptors contribute their microvilli to the entire length of the ommatidia. These orthogonally directed microvilli are anatomically arranged in an almost linear, anterior-posterior orientation. Intracellular recordings within the dorsal rim area show very high polarisation sensitivity and a sensitivity peak within the ultraviolet part of the spectrum.

Publishing year

2007

Language

English

Pages

591-600

Publication/Series

Journal of Comparative Physiology A

Volume

193

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Zoology

Keywords

  • dorsal rim area
  • dim light vision
  • nocturnal navigation
  • insects
  • polarisation sensitivity

Status

Published

Research group

  • Lund Vision Group

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1432-1351