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Sinu PA, Jose A, Varma S. Impact of the annular solar eclipse on December 26, 2019 on the foraging visits of bees. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17458. [PMID: 39075087 PMCID: PMC11286736 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-67708-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Solar eclipse has remarkable effect on behavior of animals. South India experienced a 97% magnitude annular eclipse on December 26, 2019 during 08:04-11:04 h with the totality phase appeared during 09:25-09:30 h. We investigated whether the foraging activity of the bees was limited by the eclipse, what bees are affected most, and which part of the eclipse was critical for bee activities to understand how a group of insects that rely the Sun, the sunlight, and the sun rays for their navigation and vision behaves to the eclipse. We opted to watch the bees in their foraging ground, and selected the natural flower populations of Cleome rutidosperma, Hygrophila schulli, Mimosa pudica, and Urena sinuata-some of the bee-friendly plants-to record the visitor richness and visitation rate on the flowers on eclipse and non-eclipse days and during the hour of totality phase and partial phase of the eclipse. Fewer flower-visiting species were recorded on the eclipse day than on the non-eclipse days, but in the period of totality, very few bee species were active, and limited their activity to only one population of C. rutidosperma. Visits of honey bees and stingless bees were affected most, but not that badly of solitary bees and carpenter bees. Bees, particularly the social bees use Sun for navigation and deciphering information on forage sources to fellow workers. The eclipse, like for many other animals, might hamper bees' orientation, vision, and flight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Athira Jose
- Central University of Kerala, Periya, Kerala, 671 316, India
| | - Sangeetha Varma
- Central University of Kerala, Periya, Kerala, 671 316, India
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2
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Jing X, Li S, Zhu R, Ning X, Lin J. Miniature bioinspired artificial compound eyes: microfabrication technologies, photodetection and applications. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1342120. [PMID: 38433824 PMCID: PMC10905626 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1342120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
As an outstanding visual system for insects and crustaceans to cope with the challenges of survival, compound eye has many unique advantages, such as wide field of view, rapid response, infinite depth of field, low aberration and fast motion capture. However, the complex composition of their optical systems also presents significant challenges for manufacturing. With the continuous development of advanced materials, complex 3D manufacturing technologies and flexible electronic detectors, various ingenious and sophisticated compound eye imaging systems have been developed. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the microfabrication technologies, photoelectric detection and functional applications of miniature artificial compound eyes. Firstly, a brief introduction to the types and structural composition of compound eyes in the natural world is provided. Secondly, the 3D forming manufacturing techniques for miniature compound eyes are discussed. Subsequently, some photodetection technologies for miniature curved compound eye imaging are introduced. Lastly, with reference to the existing prototypes of functional applications for miniature compound eyes, the future development of compound eyes is prospected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xian Jing
- College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano and Ultra-precision Manufacturing, School of Mechatronic Engineering, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Shitao Li
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano and Ultra-precision Manufacturing, School of Mechatronic Engineering, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Rongxin Zhu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano and Ultra-precision Manufacturing, School of Mechatronic Engineering, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Xiaochen Ning
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano and Ultra-precision Manufacturing, School of Mechatronic Engineering, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Jieqiong Lin
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano and Ultra-precision Manufacturing, School of Mechatronic Engineering, Changchun University of Technology, Changchun, China
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3
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Vijayan S, Balamurali GS, Johnson J, Kelber A, Warrant EJ, Somanathan H. Dim-light colour vision in the facultatively nocturnal Asian giant honeybee, Apis dorsata. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231267. [PMID: 37554033 PMCID: PMC10410228 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We discovered nocturnal colour vision in the Asian giant honeybee Apis dorsata-a facultatively nocturnal species-at mesopic light intensities, down to half-moon light levels (approx. 10-2 cd m-2). The visual threshold of nocturnality aligns with their reported nocturnal activity down to the same light levels. Nocturnal colour vision in A. dorsata is interesting because, despite being primarily diurnal, its colour vision capabilities extend into dim light, while the 'model' European honeybee Apis mellifera is reported to be colour-blind at twilight. By employing behavioural experiments with naturally nesting A. dorsata colonies, we show discrimination of the trained colour from other stimuli during the day, and significantly, even at night. Nocturnal colour vision in bees has so far only been reported in the obligately nocturnal carpenter bee Xylocopa tranquebarica. The discovery of colour vision in these two bee species, despite differences in the extent of their nocturnality and the limitations of their apposition compound eye optics, opens avenues for future studies on visual adaptations for dim-light colour vision, their role in pollination of flowers at night, and the effect of light pollution on nocturnal activity in A. dorsata, a ubiquitous pollinator in natural, agricultural and urban habitats in the Asian tropics and sub-tropics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajesh Vijayan
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - G. S. Balamurali
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Jewel Johnson
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Eric J. Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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4
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Bartholomée O, Dwyer C, Tichit P, Caplat P, Baird E, Smith HG. Shining a light on species coexistence: visual traits drive bumblebee communities. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222548. [PMID: 37040802 PMCID: PMC10089714 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Local coexistence of bees has been explained by flower resource partitioning, but coexisting bumblebee species often have strongly overlapping diets. We investigated if light microhabitat niche separation, underpinned by visual traits, could serve as an alternative mechanism underlying local coexistence of bumblebee species. To this end, we focused on a homogeneous flower resource-bilberry-in a heterogeneous light environment-hemi-boreal forests. We found that bumblebee communities segregated along a gradient of light intensity. The community-weighted mean of the eye parameter-a metric measuring the compromise between light sensitivity and visual resolution-decreased with light intensity, showing a higher investment in light sensitivity of communities observed in darker conditions. This pattern was consistent at the species level. In general, species with higher eye parameter (larger investment in light sensitivity) foraged in dimmer light than those with a lower eye parameter (higher investment in visual resolution). Moreover, species realized niche optimum was linearly related to their eye parameter. These results suggest microhabitat niche partitioning to be a potential mechanism underpinning bumblebee species coexistence. This study highlights the importance of considering sensory traits when studying pollinator habitat use and their ability to cope with changing environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Océane Bartholomée
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Ciara Dwyer
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Pierre Tichit
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Paul Caplat
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, BT9 5DL UK
| | - Emily Baird
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm 10691, Sweden
| | - Henrik G Smith
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
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5
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Impact of light pollution on nocturnal pollinators and their pollination services. PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s43538-022-00134-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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6
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Abstract
The ability to see colour at night is known only from a handful of animals. First discovered in the elephant hawk moth Deilephila elpenor, nocturnal colour vision is now known from two other species of hawk moths, a single species of carpenter bee, a nocturnal gecko and two species of anurans. The reason for this rarity—particularly in vertebrates—is the immense challenge of achieving a sufficient visual signal-to-noise ratio to support colour discrimination in dim light. Although no less challenging for nocturnal insects, unique optical and neural adaptations permit reliable colour vision and colour constancy even in starlight. Using the well-studied Deilephila elpenor, we describe the visual light environment at night, the visual challenges that this environment imposes and the adaptations that have evolved to overcome them. We also explain the advantages of colour vision for nocturnal insects and its usefulness in discriminating night-opening flowers. Colour vision is probably widespread in nocturnal insects, particularly pollinators, where it is likely crucial for nocturnal pollination. This relatively poorly understood but vital ecosystem service is threatened from increasingly abundant and spectrally abnormal sources of anthropogenic light pollution, which can disrupt colour vision and thus the discrimination and pollination of flowers. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Understanding colour vision: molecular, physiological, neuronal and behavioural studies in arthropods’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Warrant
- Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Hema Somanathan
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
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7
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Katabaro JM, Yan Y, Hu T, Yu Q, Cheng X. A review of the effects of artificial light at night in urban areas on the ecosystem level and the remedial measures. Front Public Health 2022; 10:969945. [PMID: 36299764 PMCID: PMC9589889 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.969945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper attempts to realize the balance between humans and ecology in designing the nighttime light environment of urban parks by clarifying the influence of nighttime artificial light on the ecosystem of urban parks. Firstly, we reviewed the effects of nighttime artificial light on individual predation and reproduction of animals and personal growth and reproduction of plants. Secondly, we discuss the impact of individual changes caused by artificial lighting on ecosystem function at the ecosystem and analyze its advantages and disadvantages. The results showed that nighttime artificial light had a double-sided impact on the ecosystem, which would hurt the ecosystem function, but had a positive effect on the green space, which lacked natural light and had high plant density. This paper focuses on the areas with increased application of artificial lighting and rich species of animals and plants in night cities, such as urban forest parks and urban green spaces. It discusses how to reduce the intrusion of artificial lighting on ecosystems and how to make better use of the positive effect of artificial light.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Mushobozi Katabaro
- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of Mountainous City and Towns Construction and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yonghong Yan
- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of Mountainous City and Towns Construction and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tao Hu
- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of Mountainous City and Towns Construction and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Quan Yu
- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of Mountainous City and Towns Construction and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiang Cheng
- Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education of Mountainous City and Towns Construction and New Technology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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8
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Martínez-Martínez CA, Cordeiro GD, Martins HOJ, Kobal ROAC, Milet-Pinheiro P, Stanton MA, Franco EL, Krug C, Mateus S, Schlindwein C, Dötterl S, Alves-dos-Santos I. Floral Volatiles: A Promising Method to Access the Rare Nocturnal and Crepuscular Bees. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Crepuscular and/or nocturnal bees fly during the dusk, the dawn or part of the night. Due to their short foraging time and sampling bias toward diurnal bees, nocturnal bees are rarely collected and poorly studied. So far, they have been mostly sampled with light and Malaise traps. However, synthetic chemical compounds resembling floral volatiles were recently found to be a promising alternative to attract these bees. By reviewing available literature and collecting original data, we present information on the attraction and sampling of nocturnal bees with scent-baited traps. Bees were actively captured with entomological nets while approaching to filter papers moistened with distinct chemical compound, or passively caught in bottles with scent baits left during the night. So far, all data available are from the Neotropics. Nocturnal bees belonging to three genera, i.e., Ptiloglossa, Megalopta, and Megommation were attracted to at least ten different synthetic compounds and mixtures thereof, identified from bouquets of flowers with nocturnal anthesis. Aromatic compounds, such as 2-phenyletanol, eugenol and methyl salicylate, and the monoterpenoid eucalyptol were the most successful in attracting nocturnal bees. We highlight the effectiveness of olfactory methods to survey crepuscular and nocturnal bees using chemical compounds typically reported as floral scent constituents, and the possibility to record olfactory preferences of each bee species to specific compounds. We suggest to include this method in apifauna surveys in order to improve our current knowledge on the diversity of nocturnal bees in different ecosystems.
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9
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Meena A, Kumar AMV, Balamurali GS, Somanathan H. Visual detection thresholds in the Asian honeybee, Apis cerana. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2021; 207:553-560. [PMID: 34152429 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-021-01496-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
To understand how insect pollinators find flowers against complex backgrounds in diverse natural habitats, it is required to accurately estimate the thresholds for target detection. Detection thresholds for single targets vary between bee species and have been estimated in the Western honeybee, a species of bumblebee and in a stingless bee species. We estimated the angular range of detection for coloured targets in the Asian honeybee Apis cerana. Using a Y-maze experimental set up, we show that targets that provided both chromatic and green receptor contrast were detected at a minimum visual angle of 7.7°, while targets with only chromatic contrast were detected at a minimum angle of 13.2°. Our results thus provide a robust foundation for future studies on the visual ecology of bees in a comparative interspecific framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Meena
- School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali, 140306, India
| | - Arya M V Kumar
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India
| | - G S Balamurali
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India.
| | - Hema Somanathan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, 695551, India
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10
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Porter ML, Cronin TW, Dick CW, Simon N, Dittmar K. Visual system characterization of the obligate bat ectoparasite Trichobius frequens (Diptera: Streblidae). ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2021; 60:101007. [PMID: 33341370 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2020.101007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
As an obligate ectoparasite of bats, the bat fly Trichobius frequens (Diptera: Streblidae) inhabits the same subterranean environment as their nocturnal bat hosts. In this study, we characterize the macromorphology, optical architecture, rhabdom anatomy, photoreceptor absorbance, and opsin expression of the significantly reduced visual system in T. frequens resulting from evolution in the dark. The eyes develop over a 21-22 day pupal developmental period, with pigmentation appearing on pupal day 11. After eclosion as an adult, T. frequens eyes consist of on average 8 facets, each overlying a fused rhabdom consisting of anywhere from 11 to 18 estimated retinula cells. The dimensions of the facets and fused rhabdoms are similar to those measured in other nocturnal insects. T. frequens eyes are functional as shown by expression of a Rh1 opsin forming a visual pigment with a peak sensitivity to 487 nm, similar to other dipteran Rh1 opsins. Future studies will evaluate how individuals with such reduced capabilities for spatial vision as well as sensitivity still capture enough visual information to use flight to maneuver through dark habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Carl W Dick
- Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY, USA; The Field Museum, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Noah Simon
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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11
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Somanathan H, Krishna S, Jos EM, Gowda V, Kelber A, Borges RM. Nocturnal Bees Feed on Diurnal Leftovers and Pay the Price of Day – Night Lifestyle Transition. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.566964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Abstract
The ability to visually search, quickly and accurately, for designated items in cluttered environments is crucial for many species to ensure survival. Feature integration theory, one of the most influential theories of attention, suggests that certain visual features that facilitate this search are extracted pre-attentively in a parallel fashion across the visual field during early visual processing. Hence, if some objects of interest possess such a feature uniquely, it will pop out from the background during the integration stage and draw visual attention immediately and effortlessly. For years, visual search research has explored these ideas by investigating the conditions (and visual features) that characterize efficient versus inefficient visual searches. The bulk of research has focused on human vision, though ecologically there are many reasons to believe that feature integration theory is applicable to other species as well. Here we review the main findings regarding the relevance of feature integration theory to non-human species and expand it to new research on one particular animal model - the archerfish. Specifically, we study both archerfish and humans in an extensive and comparative set of visual-search experiments. The findings indicate that both species exhibit similar behavior in basic feature searches and in conjunction search tasks. In contrast, performance differed in searches defined by shape. These results suggest that evolution pressured many visual features to pop out for both species despite cardinal differences in brain anatomy and living environment, and strengthens the argument that aspects of feature integration theory may be generalizable across the animal kingdom.
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13
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Light intensity regulates flower visitation in Neotropical nocturnal bees. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15333. [PMID: 32948798 PMCID: PMC7501267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72047-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The foraging activity of diurnal bees often relies on flower availability, light intensity and temperature. We do not know how nocturnal bees, which fly at night and twilight, cope with these factors, especially as light levels vary considerably from night to day and from night to night due to moon phase and cloud cover. Given that bee apposition compound eyes function at their limits in dim light, we expect a strong dependence of foraging activity on light intensity in nocturnal bees. Besides being limited by minimum light levels to forage, nocturnal bees should also avoid foraging at brighter intensities, which bring increased competition with other bees. We investigated how five factors (light intensity, flower availability, temperature, humidity, and wind) affect flower visitation by Neotropical nocturnal bees in cambuci (Campomanesia phaea, Myrtaceae). We counted visits per minute over 30 nights in 33 cambuci trees. Light intensity was the main variable explaining flower visitation of nocturnal bees, which peaked at intermediate light levels occurring 25 min before sunrise. The minimum light intensity threshold to visit flowers was 0.00024 cd/m2. Our results highlight the dependence of these nocturnal insects on adequate light levels to explore resources.
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14
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Jones BM, Seymoure BM, Comi TJ, Loew ER. Species and sex differences in eye morphometry and visual responsivity of two crepuscular sweat bee species ( Megalopta spp., Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Visually dependent dim-light foraging has evolved repeatedly, broadening the ecological niches of some species. Many dim-light foraging lineages evolved from diurnal ancestors, requiring immense visual sensitivity increases to compensate for light levels a billion times dimmer than daylight. Some taxa, such as bees, are anatomically constrained by apposition compound eyes, which function well in daylight but not in starlight. Even with this constraint, the bee genus Megalopta has incredibly sensitive eyes, foraging in light levels up to nine orders of magnitude dimmer than diurnal relatives. Despite many behavioural studies, variation in visual sensitivity and eye morphometry has not been investigated within and across Megalopta species. Here we quantify external eye morphology (corneal area and facet size) for sympatric species of Megalopta, M. genalis and M. amoena, which forage during twilight. We use electroretinograms to show that males, despite being smaller than females, have equivalent visual sensitivity and increased retinal responsivity. Although males have relatively larger eyes compared with females, corneal area and facet size were not correlated with retinal responsivity, suggesting that males have additional non-morphological adaptations to increase retinal responsiveness. These findings provide the foundation for future work into the neural and physiological mechanisms that interface with morphology to influence visual sensitivity, with implications for understanding niche exploitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beryl M Jones
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Brett M Seymoure
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
- Living Earth Collaborative, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Sound and Light Ecology Team, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Troy J Comi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Ellis R Loew
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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15
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Kelber A, Somanathan H. Spatial Vision and Visually Guided Behavior in Apidae. INSECTS 2019; 10:insects10120418. [PMID: 31766747 PMCID: PMC6956220 DOI: 10.3390/insects10120418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The family Apidae, which is amongst the largest bee families, are important pollinators globally and have been well studied for their visual adaptations and visually guided behaviors. This review is a synthesis of what is known about their eyes and visual capabilities. There are many species-specific differences, however, the relationship between body size, eye size, resolution, and sensitivity shows common patterns. Salient differences between castes and sexes are evident in important visually guided behaviors such as nest defense and mate search. We highlight that Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris are popular bee models employed in the majority of studies that have contributed immensely to our understanding vision in bees. However, other species, specifically the tropical and many non-social Apidae, merit further investigation for a better understanding of the influence of ecological conditions on the evolution of bee vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
- Correspondence: (A.K.); (H.S.)
| | - Hema Somanathan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Maruthamala PO, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695551, India
- Correspondence: (A.K.); (H.S.)
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16
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Somanathan H, Saryan P, Balamurali GS. Foraging strategies and physiological adaptations in large carpenter bees. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:387-398. [PMID: 30840127 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-019-01323-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Large carpenter bees are charismatic and ubiquitous flower visitors in the tropics and sub-tropics. Unlike honeybees and bumblebees that have been popular subjects of extensive studies on their neuroethology, behaviour and ecology, carpenter bees have received little attention. This review integrates what is known about their foraging behaviour as well as sensory, physiological and cognitive adaptations and is motivated by their versatility as flower visitors and pollinators. This is evident from their extremely generalist foraging and adeptness at handling diverse flower types as legitimate pollinators and as illegitimate nectar robbers. They purportedly use traplining to forage between isolated patches and are long-distance flyers over several kilometres suggesting well-developed spatial learning, route memory and navigational capabilities. They have a broad range of temperature tolerance and thermoregulatory capabilities which are likely employed in their forays into crepuscular and nocturnal time periods. Such temporal extensions into dim-light periods invoke a suite of visual adaptations in their apposition optics. Thus, we propose that carpenter bees are an excellent though understudied group for exploring the complex nature of plant-pollinator mutualisms from ecological and mechanistic perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema Somanathan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.
| | - Preeti Saryan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
| | - G S Balamurali
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
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Abstract
The existence of a synthetic program of research on what was then termed the "nocturnal problem" and that we might now call "nighttime ecology" was declared more than 70 years ago. In reality, this failed to materialize, arguably as a consequence of practical challenges in studying organisms at night and instead concentrating on the existence of circadian rhythms, the mechanisms that give rise to them, and their consequences. This legacy is evident to this day, with consideration of the ecology of the nighttime markedly underrepresented in ecological research and literature. However, several factors suggest that it would be timely to revive the vision of a comprehensive research program in nighttime ecology. These include (i) that the study of the ecology of the night is being revolutionized by new and improved technologies; (ii) suggestions that, far from being a minor component of biodiversity, a high proportion of animal species are active at night; (iii) that fundamental questions about differences and connections between the ecology of the daytime and the nighttime remain largely unanswered; and (iv) that the nighttime environment is coming under severe anthropogenic pressure. In this article, I seek to reestablish nighttime ecology as a synthetic program of research, highlighting key focal topics and questions and providing an overview of the current state of understanding and developments.
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Anatomy of the stemmata in the Photuris firefly larva. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2019; 205:151-161. [PMID: 30649587 PMCID: PMC6394516 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-01312-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) have distinct visual systems at different stages of development. Larvae have stemmata and adults have compound eyes. Adults use compound eyes to mediate photic communication during courtship. Larvae do not manifest this behavior, yet they are bioluminescent. We investigated the structure of stemmata in Photuris firefly larvae to identify anatomical substrates (i.e., rhabdomeres) conferring visual function. Stemmata were located bilaterally on the antero-lateral surfaces of the head. Beneath the ~ 130 µm diameter lens, we identified a pigmented eye-cup. At its widest point, the eye-cup was ~ 150 µm in diameter. The optic nerve exited the eye-cup opposite the lens. Two distinct regions, asymmetric in size and devoid of pigmentation, were characterized in stemmata cross-sections. We refer to these regions as lobes. Each lobe contained a rhabdom of a radial network of rhabdomeres. Pairs of rhabdomeres formed interdigitating microvilli contributed from neighboring photoreceptor cell bodies. The optic nerve contained 88 axons separable into two populations based on size. The number of axons in the optic nerve together with distinct rhabdoms suggests these structures were formed from ‘fusion stemmata.’ This structural specialization provides an anatomical substrate for future studies of visually mediated behaviors in Photuris larvae.
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Owens ACS, Lewis SM. The impact of artificial light at night on nocturnal insects: A review and synthesis. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:11337-11358. [PMID: 30519447 PMCID: PMC6262936 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, advances in lighting technology have precipitated exponential increases in night sky brightness worldwide, raising concerns in the scientific community about the impact of artificial light at night (ALAN) on crepuscular and nocturnal biodiversity. Long-term records show that insect abundance has declined significantly over this time, with worrying implications for terrestrial ecosystems. The majority of investigations into the vulnerability of nocturnal insects to artificial light have focused on the flight-to-light behavior exhibited by select insect families. However, ALAN can affect insects in other ways as well. This review proposes five categories of ALAN impact on nocturnal insects, highlighting past research and identifying key knowledge gaps. We conclude with a summary of relevant literature on bioluminescent fireflies, which emphasizes the unique vulnerability of terrestrial light-based communication systems to artificial illumination. Comprehensive understanding of the ecological impacts of ALAN on diverse nocturnal insect taxa will enable researchers to seek out methods whereby fireflies, moths, and other essential members of the nocturnal ecosystem can coexist with humans on an increasingly urbanized planet.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sara M. Lewis
- Department of BiologyTufts UniversityMedfordMassachusetts
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20
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Mebourou EK, Bernáth B, Schenker D, Guerin PM. Vision and genesis of survival strategies in tsetse flies: A laboratory study. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2018; 107:212-223. [PMID: 29649484 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Organisms respond to environmental stimuli in ways that optimize survival and reproduction. Tsetse fly life-history is characterized by high investment in progeny by the pregnant female and low birth rate. This places constraints on tsetse populations across the sub-Saharan biotopes they colonize where extreme climatic conditions militate against survival. Controlling metabolic rate is crucial in biotopes where daily swings in temperature can exceed 20 °C. Tsetse acquire their nutrient requirements from the blood meal. These diurnal flies are otherwise confined for most of their lives to perching sites in the shade. At these locations they are simultaneously threatened by vertebrate and invertebrate predators. Here we describe behaviours of the East African tsetse Glossina pallidipes Austen (Diptera: Glossinidae) that permit it to reduce risk daily. Newly-emerged flies remain immobile at emergence in the photophase but scotophase-emerging flies walk away within seconds to climb (negative geotaxis) vertical substrates to find a perch off the ground. Flies of all ages show the ability to fly in almost total darkness (1.10-5 lux) in the scotophase to perch on the upper side of horizontally suspended 1 cm diameter bars, simulating branches of vegetation, but perch under the same bars during the photophase. This underlines the predilection of tsetse for objects with a linear aspect that provide a vantage point and shade. Mature G. pallidipes can discriminate between horizontally suspended bars of different diameter and shape. Flicker fusion frequency values established by optomotor and retinogram recordings reveal a higher visual acuity in mature compared to newly-emerged tsetse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Kamba Mebourou
- Animal Physiology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Balázs Bernáth
- Animal Physiology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Schenker
- Technical Service of the Faculty of Science, University of Neuchâtel, Avenue de Bellevaux 51, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Patrick M Guerin
- Animal Physiology Laboratory, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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21
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Warrant EJ. The remarkable visual capacities of nocturnal insects: vision at the limits with small eyes and tiny brains. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:rstb.2016.0063. [PMID: 28193808 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Nocturnal insects have evolved remarkable visual capacities, despite small eyes and tiny brains. They can see colour, control flight and land, react to faint movements in their environment, navigate using dim celestial cues and find their way home after a long and tortuous foraging trip using learned visual landmarks. These impressive visual abilities occur at light levels when only a trickle of photons are being absorbed by each photoreceptor, begging the question of how the visual system nonetheless generates the reliable signals needed to steer behaviour. In this review, I attempt to provide an answer to this question. Part of the answer lies in their compound eyes, which maximize light capture. Part lies in the slow responses and high gains of their photoreceptors, which improve the reliability of visual signals. And a very large part lies in the spatial and temporal summation of these signals in the optic lobe, a strategy that substantially enhances contrast sensitivity in dim light and allows nocturnal insects to see a brighter world, albeit a slower and coarser one. What is abundantly clear, however, is that during their evolution insects have overcome several serious potential visual limitations, endowing them with truly extraordinary night vision.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, University of Lund, Sölvegatan 35, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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22
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Abstract
Despite their tiny eyes and brains, nocturnal insects have evolved a remarkable capacity to visually navigate at night. Whereas some use moonlight or the stars as celestial compass cues to maintain a straight-line course, others use visual landmarks to navigate to and from their nest. These impressive abilities rely on highly sensitive compound eyes and specialized visual processing strategies in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Warrant
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
| | - Marie Dacke
- Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden
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23
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Somanathan H, Borges RM, Warrant EJ, Kelber A. Visual Adaptations for Mate Detection in the Male Carpenter Bee Xylocopa tenuiscapa. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0168452. [PMID: 28107354 PMCID: PMC5249068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in eye structure is attributed to sexual selection in animals that employ vision for locating mates. In many male insects, large eyes and eye regions of higher acuity are believed to facilitate the location of females. Here, we compare various features of male and female eyes in three sympatric carpenter bee species, which include two diurnal species (Xylocopa tenuiscapa and X. leucothorax) as well as a nocturnal species (X. tranquebarica). In X. tenuiscapa, males have larger eyes than females, while in the nocturnal X. tranquebarica, males have slightly smaller eyes and in X. leucothorax, the eyes are of similar size in both sexes. X. tenuiscapa males detect females by perching near nest sites (resource defence) or along fly-ways and other open areas with good visibility. Males of the other two species search for females by patrolling. We postulate that the larger eyes of male X. tenuiscapa are beneficial to their mode of mate detection since perching males may benefit from a larger visual area of high resolution detecting moving stimuli across the sky, and which may be germane to the more social and gregarious nesting behaviour of this species, compared to the other solitary bees. We tested the performance of the eyes of male X. tenuiscapa behaviourally and find that a perching male can detect a flying female at a distance of 20 m, which darkens the visual field of a single ommatidium by just 2%. This, together with the bee's high spatial resolution permits detection of moving stimuli at least as well or even better than achieved by honey bee drones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema Somanathan
- IISER TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE), School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
- * E-mail:
| | - Renee Maria Borges
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Eric J. Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department for Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department for Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Borges RM, Somanathan H, Kelber A. Patterns and Processes in Nocturnal and Crepuscular Pollination Services. QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY 2016; 91:389-418. [DOI: 10.1086/689481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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25
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Makinson JC, Threlfall CG, Latty T. Bee-friendly community gardens: Impact of environmental variables on the richness and abundance of exotic and native bees. Urban Ecosyst 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11252-016-0607-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Prŷs-Jones OE, Kristjánsson K, Ólafsson E. Hitchhiking with the Vikings? The anthropogenic bumblebee fauna of Iceland – past and present. J NAT HIST 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2016.1234655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erling Ólafsson
- The Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Reykjavik, Iceland
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27
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Reber T, Dacke M, Warrant E, Baird E. Bumblebees Perform Well-Controlled Landings in Dim Light. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:174. [PMID: 27683546 PMCID: PMC5021987 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To make a smooth touchdown when landing, an insect must be able to reliably control its approach speed as well as its body and leg position—behaviors that are thought to be regulated primarily by visual information. Bumblebees forage and land under a broad range of light intensities and while their behavior during the final moments of landing has been described in detail in bright light, little is known about how this is affected by decreasing light intensity. Here, we investigate this by characterizing the performance of bumblebees, B. terrestris, landing on a flat platform at two different orientations (horizontal and vertical) and at four different light intensities (ranging from 600 lx down to 19 lx). As light intensity decreased, the bees modified their body position and the distance at which they extended their legs, suggesting that the control of landing in these insects is visually mediated. Nevertheless, the effect of light intensity was small and the landings were still well controlled, even in the dimmest light. We suggest that the changes in landing behavior that occurred in dim light might represent adaptations that allow the bees to perform smooth landings across the broad range of light intensities at which they are active.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie Dacke
- Department of Biology, Lund University Lund, Sweden
| | - Eric Warrant
- Department of Biology, Lund University Lund, Sweden
| | - Emily Baird
- Department of Biology, Lund University Lund, Sweden
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28
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Narendra A, Greiner B, Ribi WA, Zeil J. Light and dark adaptation mechanisms in the compound eyes of Myrmecia ants that occupy discrete temporal niches. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:2435-42. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.142018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Ants of the Australian genus Myrmecia partition their foraging niche temporally, allowing them to be sympatric with overlapping foraging requirements. We used histological techniques to study the light and dark adaptation mechanisms in the compound eyes of diurnal (Myrmecia croslandi), crepuscular (M. tarsata, M. nigriceps) and nocturnal ants (M. pyriformis). We found that, except in the day-active species, all ants have a variable primary pigment cell pupil that constricts the crystalline cone in bright light to control for light flux. We show for the nocturnal M. pyriformis that the constriction of the crystalline cone by the primary pigment cells is light dependent whereas the opening of the aperture is regulated by an endogenous rhythm. In addition, in the light-adapted eyes of all species, the retinular cell pigment granules radially migrate towards the rhabdom, a process that in both the day-active M. croslandi and the night-active M. pyriformis is driven by ambient light intensity. Visual system properties thus do not restrict crepuscular and night-active ants to their temporal foraging niche, while day-active ants require high light intensities to operate. We discuss the ecological significance of these adaptation mechanisms and their role in temporal niche partitioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Narendra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, 205 Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Birgit Greiner
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Willi A. Ribi
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of Lund, Lund S-22362, Sweden
| | - Jochen Zeil
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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29
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Stöckl A, O’Carroll D, Warrant E. Neural Summation in the Hawkmoth Visual System Extends the Limits of Vision in Dim Light. Curr Biol 2016; 26:821-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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30
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Honkanen A, Takalo J, Heimonen K, Vähäsöyrinki M, Weckström M. Cockroach optomotor responses below single photon level. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 217:4262-8. [PMID: 25472974 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.112425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Reliable vision in dim light depends on the efficient capture of photons. Moreover, visually guided behaviour requires reliable signals from the photoreceptors to generate appropriate motor reactions. Here, we show that at behavioural low-light threshold, cockroach photoreceptors respond to moving gratings with single-photon absorption events known as 'quantum bumps' at or below the rate of 0.1 s(-1). By performing behavioural experiments and intracellular recordings from photoreceptors under identical stimulus conditions, we demonstrate that continuous modulation of the photoreceptor membrane potential is not necessary to elicit visually guided behaviour. The results indicate that in cockroach motion detection, massive temporal and spatial pooling takes place throughout the eye under dim conditions, involving currently unknown neural processing algorithms. The extremely high night-vision capability of the cockroach visual system provides a roadmap for bio-mimetic imaging design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Honkanen
- Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Jouni Takalo
- Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | - Kyösti Heimonen
- Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
| | | | - Matti Weckström
- Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland
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31
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Maebe K, Meeus I, Smagghe G. Recruitment to forage of bumblebees in artificial low light is less impaired in light sensitive colonies, and not only determined by external morphological parameters. JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 59:913-918. [PMID: 23834824 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/27/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Bumblebees of Bombus terrestris are essential pollinators in natural and managed ecosystems. Their foraging ability relies on the individual morphology, task allocation within the colony, and external factors, such as light intensity. The foraging activities of commercial bumblebees can sometimes be impaired, especially in the artificial and weak light intensities of greenhouses at high altitudes. Here we investigated whether the eagerness (or willingness) to forage of bumblebee colonies in different light conditions is correlated with the light sensitivity of bumblebees colonies and/or different external morphological parameters. The initial foraging capacity of bumblebee colonies correlated with their light sensitivity. However, light sensitive bumblebee colonies did not necessarily had a higher foraging activity at lower light intensities. Differences in initial foraging capacity and light sensitivity among colonies could not be explained by the external morphological parameters. In conclusion, our data illustrated that the recruitment to forage in artificial low light is less impaired in light sensitive colonies, and that not only the external morphology parameters determine the light sensitivity of bumblebees and their eagerness to forage in weak light conditions. The data obtained here create a better understanding of which criteria are able to select towards light sensitive bumblebees and their link with the foraging capacity of these bumblebees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Maebe
- Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
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32
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Streinzer M, Brockmann A, Nagaraja N, Spaethe J. Sex and caste-specific variation in compound eye morphology of five honeybee species. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57702. [PMID: 23460896 PMCID: PMC3584085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2012] [Accepted: 01/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ranging from dwarfs to giants, the species of honeybees show remarkable differences in body size that have placed evolutionary constrains on the size of sensory organs and the brain. Colonies comprise three adult phenotypes, drones and two female castes, the reproductive queen and sterile workers. The phenotypes differ with respect to tasks and thus selection pressures which additionally constrain the shape of sensory systems. In a first step to explore the variability and interaction between species size-limitations and sex and caste-specific selection pressures in sensory and neural structures in honeybees, we compared eye size, ommatidia number and distribution of facet lens diameters in drones, queens and workers of five species (Apis andreniformis, A. florea, A. dorsata, A. mellifera, A. cerana). In these species, male and female eyes show a consistent sex-specific organization with respect to eye size and regional specialization of facet diameters. Drones possess distinctly enlarged eyes with large dorsal facets. Aside from these general patterns, we found signs of unique adaptations in eyes of A. florea and A. dorsata drones. In both species, drone eyes are disproportionately enlarged. In A. dorsata the increased eye size results from enlarged facets, a likely adaptation to crepuscular mating flights. In contrast, the relative enlargement of A. florea drone eyes results from an increase in ommatidia number, suggesting strong selection for high spatial resolution. Comparison of eye morphology and published mating flight times indicates a correlation between overall light sensitivity and species-specific mating flight times. The correlation suggests an important role of ambient light intensities in the regulation of species-specific mating flight times and the evolution of the visual system. Our study further deepens insights into visual adaptations within the genus Apis and opens up future perspectives for research to better understand the timing mechanisms and sensory physiology of mating related signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Streinzer
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biozentrum, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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Ribi W, Warrant E, Zeil J. The organization of honeybee ocelli: Regional specializations and rhabdom arrangements. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2011; 40:509-520. [PMID: 21945450 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2011.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2011] [Revised: 06/27/2011] [Accepted: 06/27/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We have re-investigated the organization of ocelli in honeybee workers and drones. Ocellar lenses are divided into a dorsal and a ventral part by a cusp-shaped indentation. The retina is also divided, with a ventral retina looking skywards and a dorsal retina looking at the horizon. The focal plane of lenses lies behind the retina in lateral ocelli, but within the dorsal retina in the median ocellus of both workers and drones. Ventral retinula cells are ca. 25μm long with dense screening pigments. Dorsal retinula cells are ca. 60μm long with sparse pigmentation mainly restricted to their proximal parts. Pairs of retinula cells form flat, non-twisting rhabdom sheets with elongated, straight, rectangular cross-sections, on average 8.7μm long and 1μm wide. Honeybee ocellar rhabdoms have shorter and straighter cross-sections than those recently described in the night-active bee Megalopta genalis. Across the retina, rhabdoms form a fan-shaped pattern of orientations. In each ocellus, ventral and dorsal retinula cell axons project into two separate neuropils, converging on few large neurons in the dorsal, and on many small neurons in the ventral neuropil. The divided nature of the ocelli, together with the particular construction and arrangement of rhabdoms, suggest that ocelli are not only involved in attitude control, but might also provide skylight polarization compass information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willi Ribi
- The Private University of Liechtenstein, Dorfstrasse 24, Triesen, FL-9495, Liechtenstein
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Kelber A, Jonsson F, Wallén R, Warrant E, Kornfeldt T, Baird E. Hornets can fly at night without obvious adaptations of eyes and ocelli. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21892. [PMID: 21765923 PMCID: PMC3134451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 06/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hornets, the largest social wasps, have a reputation of being facultatively nocturnal. Here we confirm flight activity of hornet workers in dim twilight. We studied the eyes and ocelli of European hornets (Vespa crabro) and common wasps (Vespula vulgaris) with the goal to find the optical and anatomical adaptations that enable them to fly in dim light. Adaptations described for obligately nocturnal hymenoptera such as the bees Xylocopa tranquebarica and Megalopta genalis and the wasp Apoica pallens include large ocelli and compound eyes with wide rhabdoms and large facet lenses. Interestingly, we did not find any such adaptations in hornet eyes or ocelli. On the contrary, their eyes are even less sensitive than those of the obligately diurnal common wasps. Therefore we conclude that hornets, like several facultatively nocturnal bee species such as Apis mellifera adansonii, A. dorsata and X. tenuiscapa are capable of seeing in dim light simply due to the large body and thus eye size. We propose that neural pooling strategies and behavioural adaptations precede anatomical adaptations in the eyes and ocelli when insects with apposition compound eyes turn to dim light activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almut Kelber
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Fredrik Jonsson
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Rita Wallén
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Eric Warrant
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Torill Kornfeldt
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emily Baird
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Franco EL, Gimenes M. Pollination of Cambessedesia wurdackii in Brazilian campo rupestre vegetation, with special reference to crepuscular bees. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2011; 11:97. [PMID: 22208813 PMCID: PMC3391928 DOI: 10.1673/031.011.9701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2010] [Accepted: 04/04/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Cambessedesia wurdackii Martins (Myrtales: Melastomataceae) is presumably endemic to the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia State, Brazil. A majority of the species of this family are pollinated by diurnal bees that buzz the floral anthers to collect pollen. The present work examined the interactions between C. wurdackii and visiting bees, focusing on temporal, morphological, and behavioral features, especially in regards to the crepuscular bees Megalopta sodalis (Vachal) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) and Ptiloglossa off. dubia Moure (Hymenoptera: Colletidae). The study was undertaken in an area of campo rupestre montane savanna vegetation located in the Chapada Diamantina Mountains of Bahia State, Brazil, between August/2007 and July/2008. Flowering in C. wurdackii occurred from April through July, with a peak in May. A total of 592 visits by diurnal and crepuscular bees to the flowers of C. wurdackii were recorded, with a majority of the visits made by M. sodalis and P. dubia (92%) near sunrise and sunset. The anthers of C. wurdackii are arranged in two tiers, which favors cross pollination. The morphological, temporal and behavioral characteristics of M. sodalis and P. dubia indicated that they were potential pollinators of C. wurdackii, in spite of the fact that the colorful and showy flowers of this species are more typical of a diurnal melittophilous pollination syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuella Lopes Franco
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Avenida Transnordestina, S/N, Bairro Novo Horizonte, 44036-900 Feira de Santana — BA, Brasil
| | - Miriam Gimenes
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Avenida Transnordestina, S/N, Bairro Novo Horizonte, 44036-900 Feira de Santana — BA, Brasil
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Abstract
With their highly sensitive visual systems, nocturnal insects have evolved a remarkable capacity to discriminate colors, orient themselves using faint celestial cues, fly unimpeded through a complicated habitat, and navigate to and from a nest using learned visual landmarks. Even though the compound eyes of nocturnal insects are significantly more sensitive to light than those of their closely related diurnal relatives, their photoreceptors absorb photons at very low rates in dim light, even during demanding nocturnal visual tasks. To explain this apparent paradox, it is hypothesized that the necessary bridge between retinal signaling and visual behavior is a neural strategy of spatial and temporal summation at a higher level in the visual system. Exactly where in the visual system this summation takes place, and the nature of the neural circuitry that is involved, is currently unknown but provides a promising avenue for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Warrant
- Department of Biology, University of Lund, S-22362 Lund, Sweden
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Narendra A, Reid SF, Greiner B, Peters RA, Hemmi JM, Ribi WA, Zeil J. Caste-specific visual adaptations to distinct daily activity schedules in Australian Myrmecia ants. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 278:1141-9. [PMID: 20926444 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.1378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals are active at different times of the day and their activity schedules are shaped by competition, time-limited food resources and predators. Different temporal niches provide different light conditions, which affect the quality of visual information available to animals, in particular for navigation. We analysed caste-specific differences in compound eyes and ocelli in four congeneric sympatric species of Myrmecia ants, with emphasis on within-species adaptive flexibility and daily activity rhythms. Each caste has its own lifestyle: workers are exclusively pedestrian; alate females lead a brief life on the wing before becoming pedestrian; alate males lead a life exclusively on the wing. While workers of the four species range from diurnal, diurnal-crepuscular, crepuscular-nocturnal to nocturnal, the activity times of conspecific alates do not match in all cases. Even within a single species, we found eye area, facet numbers, facet sizes, rhabdom diameters and ocelli size to be tuned to the distinct temporal niche each caste occupies. We discuss these visual adaptations in relation to ambient light levels, visual tasks and mode of locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Narendra
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
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Narendra A, Reid SF, Hemmi JM. The twilight zone: ambient light levels trigger activity in primitive ants. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:1531-8. [PMID: 20129978 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.2324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals become active during twilight, a narrow time window where the properties of the visual environment are dramatically different from both day and night. Despite the fact that many animals including mammals, reptiles, birds and insects become active in this specific temporal niche, we do not know what cues trigger this activity. To identify the onset of specific temporal niches, animals could anticipate the timing of regular events or directly measure environmental variables. We show that the Australian bull ant, Myrmecia pyriformis, starts foraging only during evening twilight throughout the year. The onset occurs neither at a specific temperature nor at a specific time relative to sunset, but at a specific ambient light intensity. Foraging onset occurs later when light intensities at sunset are brighter than normal or earlier when light intensities at sunset are darker than normal. By modifying ambient light intensity experimentally, we provide clear evidence that ants indeed measure light levels and do not rely on an internal rhythm to begin foraging. We suggest that the reason for restricting the foraging onset to twilight and measuring light intensity to trigger activity is to optimize the trade-off between predation risk and ease of navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Narendra
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science and Centre for Visual Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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Somanathan H, Warrant EJ, Borges RM, Wallén R, Kelber A. Resolution and sensitivity of the eyes of the Asian honeybees Apis florea, Apis cerana and Apis dorsata. J Exp Biol 2009; 212:2448-53. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.031484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Bees of the genus Apis are important foragers of nectar and pollen resources. Although the European honeybee, Apis mellifera, has been well studied with respect to its sensory abilities, learning behaviour and role as pollinators, much less is known about the other Apis species. We studied the anatomical spatial resolution and absolute sensitivity of the eyes of three sympatric species of Asian honeybees, Apis cerana, Apis florea and Apis dorsata and compared them with the eyes of A. mellifera. Of these four species, the giant honeybee A. dorsata (which forages during moonlit nights) has the lowest spatial resolution and the most sensitive eyes, followed by A. mellifera, A. cerana and the dwarf honeybee, A. florea (which has the smallest acceptance angles and the least sensitive eyes). Moreover, unlike the strictly diurnal A. cerana and A. florea, A. dorsata possess large ocelli, a feature that it shares with all dim-light bees. However, the eyes of the facultatively nocturnal A. dorsata are much less sensitive than those of known obligately nocturnal bees such as Megalopta genalis in Panama and Xylocopa tranquebarica in India. The differences in sensitivity between the eyes of A. dorsataand other strictly diurnal Apis species cannot alone explain why the former is able to fly, orient and forage at half-moon light levels. We assume that additional neuronal adaptations, as has been proposed for A. mellifera, M. genalis and X. tranquebarica, might exist in A. dorsata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hema Somanathan
- Department of Cell and Organism Biology–Zoology, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Eric J. Warrant
- Department of Cell and Organism Biology–Zoology, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden
| | - Renee M. Borges
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560 012, India
| | - Rita Wallén
- Department of Cell and Organism Biology–Zoology, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden
| | - Almut Kelber
- Department of Cell and Organism Biology–Zoology, Lund University, 22363 Lund, Sweden
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Visual ecology of Indian carpenter bees II: adaptations of eyes and ocelli to nocturnal and diurnal lifestyles. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2009; 195:571-83. [PMID: 19363615 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-009-0432-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2008] [Revised: 02/25/2009] [Accepted: 03/04/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Most bees are diurnal, with behaviour that is largely visually mediated, but several groups have made evolutionary shifts to nocturnality, despite having apposition compound eyes unsuited to vision in dim light. We compared the anatomy and optics of the apposition eyes and the ocelli of the nocturnal carpenter bee, Xylocopa tranquebarica, with two sympatric species, the strictly diurnal X. leucothorax and the occasionally crepuscular X. tenuiscapa. The ocelli of the nocturnal X. tranquebarica are unusually large (diameter ca. 1 mm) and poorly focussed. Moreover, their apposition eyes show specific visual adaptations for vision in dim light, including large size, large facets and very wide rhabdoms, which together make these eyes 9 times more sensitive than those of X. tenuiscapa and 27 times more sensitive than those of X. leucothorax. These differences in optical sensitivity are surprisingly small considering that X. tranquebarica can fly on moonless nights when background luminance is as low as 10(-5) cd m(-2), implying that this bee must employ additional visual strategies to forage and find its way back to the nest. These strategies may include photoreceptors with longer integration times and higher contrast gains as well as higher neural summation mechanisms for increasing visual reliability in dim light.
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Somanathan H, Borges RM, Warrant EJ, Kelber A. Nocturnal bees learn landmark colours in starlight. Curr Biol 2009; 18:R996-7. [PMID: 19000807 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2008.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Wcislo WT, Tierney SM. Behavioural environments and niche construction: the evolution of dim-light foraging in bees. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2008; 84:19-37. [PMID: 19046401 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2008.00059.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Most bees forage for floral resources during the day, but temporal patterns of foraging activity vary extensively, and foraging in dim-light environments has evolved repeatedly. Facultative dim-light foraging behaviour is known in five of nine families of bees, while obligate behaviour is known in four families and evolved independently at least 19 times. The light intensity under which bees forage varies by a factor of 10(8), and therefore the evolution of dim-light foraging represents the invasion of a new, extreme niche. The repeated evolution of dim-light foraging behaviour in bees allows tests of the hypothesis that behaviour acts as an evolutionary pacemaker. With the exception of one species of Apis, facultative dim-light foragers show no external structural traits that are thought to enable visually mediated flight behaviour in low-light environments. By contrast, most obligate dim-light foragers show a suite of convergent optical traits such as enlarged ocelli and compound eyes. In one intensively studied species (Megalopta genalis) these optical changes are associated with neurobiological changes to enhance photon capture. The available ecological evidence suggests that an escape from competition for pollen and nectar resources and avoidance of natural enemies are driving factors in the evolution of obligate dim-light foraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T Wcislo
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá.
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