ISSN:
1432-0878
Keywords:
Fine structure
;
Cornea
;
Retina
;
Compound eye
;
Hymenopteran insects
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Structurally specialized ommatidia at the dorsal rim of the compound eyes of honey bees have been shown to be indispensable for polarized skylight navigation. In this study numerous other hymenopteran genera belonging to various superfamilies are shown to exhibit similar specializations in this part of the eye: (1) The cornea is penetrated by pore canals, which affect the optics of the ommatidia by scattering the light falling into the eye. In Andrena and Ammophila the cornea contains extensive cavities. (2) Each retinula contains 9 long receptor cells as opposed to 8 long ones in the adjacent dorsal area, and the rhabdom area is increased by a factor of up to 2. In all ant species examined there are no corneal but only retinal specializations at the dorsal rim of the eye. They include a specially shaped rhabdom as in Cataglyphis, in which polarization vision has also been demonstrated.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00214897
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