Abstract
The spectral sensitivity of 21 eye preparations of Ascalaphus (Libelluloides) macaronius (Insecta, Neuroptera) has been re-measured using an up-to-date spectral scan method. 1. Dorso-frontal and ventro-lateral eyes have different spectral characteristics with peaks of sensitivity at 329 ± 8 nm (n = 15) and 343 ± 4 nm (n = 5) (P = 0.002), respectively. 2. The absorbance of the visual pigment layer, K, determined from the shape of the spectral sensitivity curves is 1.3 ± 1.8(n = 15) for dorso-frontal eyes and − 1.0 ± 0.3(n = 5) for ventrolateral eyes, thus implying higher selfscreening in the dorso-frontal eyes and narrowing of the spectral sensitivity curves as regards to a template visual pigment in ventro-lateral eyes. 3. Plotting K versus spectral sensitivity peak wavelength λmax revealed an inverse correlation between these variables with K = 42.5 − 0.126 λmax at r = 0.88(n = 19). 4. Extracts of ommochromes and carotenoids (Figs. 4 to 6) do not allow to account for the above diversity of optical properties of the Ascalaphus eye (Fig. 7).
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Abbreviations
- SSC :
-
spectral sensitivity curve
- DF :
-
dorso-frontal eye
- UV :
-
ultraviolet
- VL :
-
ventro-lateral eye
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Gribakin, F., Alekseyev, E., Shukolyukov, S. et al. Unconventional ultraviolet sensitivity spectra of Ascalaphus (Insecta, Neuroptera). J Comp Physiol A 177, 201–206 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225099
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225099