Analyzing the reflections from single ommatidia in the butterfly compound eye with Voronoi diagrams.

University of Groningen Reflections on colourful ommatidia of butterfly eyes Stavenga, Doekele

Reflections on colourful ommatidia of butterfly eyes.

The eye shine of butterflies from a large number of ommatidia was observed with a modified epi-illumination apparatus equipped with an objective lens of large numerical aperture. A few representative cases are presented: the satyrine Bicyclus anynana, the heliconian Heliconius melpomene, the small white Pieris rapae and the small copper Lycaena phlaeas. The colour of the eye shine is determined...

Spectral organization of ommatidia in flower-visiting insects.

This article reviews recent advances of studies on the spectral organization of the compound eye in lepidopteran and hymenopteran insects. The compound eyes consist of ommatidia, which contain a set of photoreceptor cells. The common feature is that the ommatidia can be divided into three types, according to the combination of spectral classes of photoreceptors. Honeybees and nymphalid butterfl...

Polymorphism of red receptors: sensitivity spectra of proximal photoreceptors in the small white butterfly Pieris rapae crucivora.

The compound eye of the small white butterfly Pieris rapae crucivora contains three anatomically distinct types of ommatidia. They differ in pigmentation around the rhabdom, colour of tapetal reflection and violet light-induced autofluorescence, indicating physiological differences between them. We recently reported that the ommatidia are in fact spectrally heterogeneous: in the distal part of ...

Rhabdom constriction enhances filtering by the red screening pigment in the eye of the Eastern Pale Clouded yellow butterfly, Colias erate (Pieridae).

Here we report the remarkable anatomy of the eye of the Eastern Pale Clouded yellow butterfly, Colias erate. An ommatidium of C. erate bears nine photoreceptors, R1-9, which together form a tiered and fused rhabdom. The distal tier of the rhabdom consists of the rhabdomeral microvilli of R1-4 photoreceptors, R5-8 photoreceptors contribute the proximal tier, and the R9 photoreceptor adds a few m...