Ocellar structure is driven by the mode of locomotion and activity time in Myrmecia ants

Insects have exquisitely adapted their compound eyes to suit the ambient light intensity in the different temporal niches they occupy. In addition to the compound eye, most flying insects have simple eyes known as ocelli, which assist in flight stabilisation, horizon detection and orientation. Among ants, typically the flying alates have ocelli while the pedestrian workers lack this structure. The Australian ant genus Myrmecia is one of the few ant genera in which both workers and alates have three ocellar lenses. Here, we studied the variation in the ocellar structure in four sympatric species of Myrmecia that are active at different times of the day. In addition, we took advantage of the walking and flying modes of locomotion in workers and males, respectively, to ask whether the type of movement influences the ocellar structure. We found that ants active in dim light had larger ocellar lenses and wider rhabdoms compared with those in bright-light conditions. In the ocellar rhabdoms of workers active in dim-light habitats, typically each retinula cell contributed microvilli in more than one direction, probably destroying polarisation sensitivity. The organisation of the ocellar retina in the day-active workers and the males suggests that in these animals some cells are sensitive to the pattern of polarised skylight. We found that the night-flying males had a tapetum that reflects light back to the rhabdom, increasing their optical sensitivity. We discuss the possible functions of ocelli to suit the different modes of locomotion and the discrete temporal niches that animals occupy.

Techniques for Investigating the Anatomy of the Ant Visual System

This article outlines a suite of techniques in light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM) which can be used to study the internal and external eye anatomy of insects. These include traditional histological techniques optimized for work on ant eyes and adapted to work in concert with other techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These techniques, although vastly useful, can be difficult for the novice microscopist, so great emphasis has been placed in this article on troubleshooting and optimization for different specimens. We provide information on imaging techniques for the entire specimen (photo-microscopy and SEM) and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. We highlight the technique used in determining lens diameters for the entire eye and discuss new techniques for improvement. Lastly, we discuss techniques involved in preparing samples for LM and TEM, sectioning, staining, and imaging these samples. We discuss the hurdles that one might come across when preparing samples and how best to navigate around them.

Light and dark adaptation mechanisms in the compound eyes of Myrmecia ants that occupy discrete temporal niches

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.

Compound eye and ocellar structure for walking and flying modes of locomotion in the Australian ant, Camponotus consobrinus

Ants are unusual among insects in that individuals of the same species within a single colony have different modes of locomotion and tasks. We know from walking ants that vision plays a significant role in guiding this behaviour, but we know surprisingly little about the potential contribution of visual sensory structures for a flying mode of locomotion. Here we investigate the structure of the compound eye and ocelli in pedestrian workers, alate females and alate males of an Australian ant, Camponotus consobrinus, and discuss the trade-offs involved in optical sensitivity and spatial resolution. Male ants have more but smaller ommatidia and the smallest interommatidial angles, which is most likely an adaptation to visually track individual flying females. Both walking and flying forms of ants have a similar proportion of specialized receptors sensitive to polarized skylight, but the absolute number of these receptors varies, being greatest in males. Ocelli are present only in the flying forms. Each ocellus consists of a bipartite retina with a horizon-facing dorsal retina, which contains retinula cells with long rhabdoms, and a sky-facing ventral retina with shorter rhabdoms. We discuss the implications of these and their potential for sensing the pattern of polarized skylight.

The visual system of the Australian 'Redeye' cicada (Psaltoda moerens)

We investigated the functional anatomy of the visual system in the Australian 'Redeye' cicada Psaltoda moerens, including compound eyes and ocelli. The compound eyes have large visual fields, about 7500 ommatidia per eye and binocular overlaps of 10-15° in the frontal and of 50-60° in the dorsal visual field. The diameters of corneal facet lenses range between 22 and 34 μm and the lenses are unusually long with up to 100 μm in some eye regions. In the posterior part of the eyes, the hexagonal facet array changes to a square lattice. The compound eyes are of the eucone apposition type with 8 retinular cells contributing to a fused rhabdom in each ommatidium. The red eye colour is due to the pigment granules in the secondary pigment cells. We found a small Dorsal Rim Area (DRA), in which rhabdom cross-sections are rectangular rather than round. The cross-sections of DRA rhabdoms do not systematically change orientation along the length of the rhabdom, indicating that microvilli directions do not twist, which would make retinular cells in the DRA polarization sensitive. The three ocelli have unusual lenses with a champagne-cork shape in longitudinal sections. Retinular cells are short in the dorsal and ventral part of the retinae, and long in their equatorial part. Ocellar rhabdoms are short (<10 μm), positioned close to the corneagenous layer and are formed by pairs of retinular cells. In cross-section, the rhabdomeres are 2-5 μm long and straight. The red colour of ocelli is produced by screening pigments that form an iris around the base of the ocellar lens and by screening pigments between the ocellar retinular cells. We discuss the organization of the compound eye rhabdom, the organization of the ocelli and the presence of a DRA in the light of what is known about Hemipteran compound eyes. We note in particular that cicadas are the only Hemipteran group with fused rhabdoms, thus making Hemiptera an interesting case to study the evolution of open rhabdoms and neural superposition.

Neuromechanism study of insect-machine interface: flight control by neural electrical stimulation

The insect–machine interface (IMI) is a novel approach developed for man-made air vehicles, which directly controls insect flight by either neuromuscular or neural stimulation. In our previous study of IMI, we induced flight initiation and cessation reproducibly in restrained honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) via electrical stimulation of the bilateral optic lobes. To explore the neuromechanism underlying IMI, we applied electrical stimulation to seven subregions of the honeybee brain with the aid of a new method for localizing brain regions. Results showed that the success rate for initiating honeybee flight decreased in the order: α-lobe (or β-lobe), ellipsoid body, lobula, medulla and antennal lobe. Based on a comparison with other neurobiological studies in honeybees, we propose that there is a cluster of descending neurons in the honeybee brain that transmits neural excitation from stimulated brain areas to the thoracic ganglia, leading to flight behavior. This neural circuit may involve the higher-order integration center, the primary visual processing center and the suboesophageal ganglion, which is also associated with a possible learning and memory pathway. By pharmacologically manipulating the electrically stimulated honeybee brain, we have shown that octopamine, rather than dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine, plays a part in the circuit underlying electrically elicited honeybee flight. Our study presents a new brain stimulation protocol for the honeybee–machine interface and has solved one of the questions with regard to understanding which functional divisions of the insect brain participate in flight control. It will support further studies to uncover the involved neurons inside specific brain areas and to test the hypothesized involvement of a visual learning and memory pathway in IMI flight control.

Compound eye adaptations for diurnal and nocturnal lifestyle in the intertidal ant, Polyrhachis sokolova

The Australian intertidal ant, Polyrhachis sokolova lives in mudflat habitats and nests at the base of mangroves. They are solitary foraging ants that rely on visual cues. The ants are active during low tides at both day and night and thus experience a wide range of light intensities. We here ask the extent to which the compound eyes of P. sokolova reflect the fact that they operate during both day and night. The ants have typical apposition compound eyes with 596 ommatidia per eye and an interommatidial angle of 6.0°. We find the ants have developed large lenses (33 µm in diameter) and wide rhabdoms (5 µm in diameter) to make their eyes highly sensitive to low light conditions. To be active at bright light conditions, the ants have developed an extreme pupillary mechanism during which the primary pigment cells constrict the crystalline cone to form a narrow tract of 0.5 µm wide and 16 µm long. This pupillary mechanism protects the photoreceptors from bright light, making the eyes less sensitive during the day. The dorsal rim area of their compound eye has specialised photoreceptors that could aid in detecting the orientation of the pattern of polarised skylight, which would assist the animals to determine compass directions required while navigating between nest and food sources.

Caste-specific visual adaptations to distinct daily activity schedules in Australian Myrmecia ants

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.

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

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 (Deltarho = 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.

Lateralization of olfaction in the honeybee Apis mellifera

Lateralization of function is a well-known phenomenon in humans. The two hemispheres of the human brain are functionally specialized such that certain cognitive skills, such as language or musical ability, conspecific recognition, and even emotional responses, are mediated by one hemisphere more than the other [1, 2]. Studies over the past 30 years suggest that lateralization occurs in other vertebrate species as well [3-11]. In general, lateralization is observed in different sensory modalities in humans as well as vertebrates, and there are interesting parallels (reviewed in [12]). However, little is known about functional asymmetry in invertebrates [13, 14] and there is only one investigation in insects [15]. Here we show, for the first time, that the honeybee Apis mellifera displays a clear laterality in responding to learned odors. By training honeybees on two different versions of the well-known proboscis extension reflex (PER) paradigm [16, 17], we demonstrate that bees respond to odors better when they are trained through their right antenna. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of asymmetrical learning performance in an insect.

A neural network to improve dim-light vision? Dendritic fields of first-order interneurons in the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis

Using the combined Golgi-electron microscopy technique, we have determined the three-dimensional dendritic fields of the short visual fibres (svf 1-3) and first-order interneurons or L-fibres (L1-4) within the first optic ganglion (lamina) of the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis. Serial cross sections have revealed that the svf type 2 branches into one adjacent neural unit (cartridge) in layer A, the most distal of the three lamina layers A, B and C. All L-fibres, except L1-a, exhibit wide lateral branching into several neighbouring cartridges. L1-b shows a dendritic field of seven cartridges in layers A and C, dendrites of L2 target 13 cartridges in layer A, L3 branches over a total of 12 cartridges in layer A and three in layer C and L4 has the largest dendritic field size of 18 cartridges in layer C. The number of cartridges reached by the respective L-fibres is distinctly greater in the nocturnal bee than in the worker honeybee and is larger than could be estimated from our previous Golgi-light microscopy study. The extreme dorso-ventrally oriented dendritic field of L4 in M. genalis may, in addition to its potential role in spatial summation, be involved in edge detection. Thus, we have shown that the amount of lateral spreading present in the lamina provides the anatomical basis for the required spatial summation. Theoretical and future physiological work should further elucidate the roles that this lateral spreading plays to improve dim-light vision in nocturnal insects.

Neural organisation in the first optic ganglion of the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis

Each neural unit (cartridge) in the first optic ganglion (lamina) of the nocturnal bee Megalopta genalis contains nine receptor cell axons (6 short and 3 long visual fibres), and four different types of first-order interneurons, also known as L-fibres (L1 to L4) or lamina monopolar cells. The short visual fibres terminate within the lamina as three different types (svf 1, 2, 3). The three long visual fibres pass through the lamina without forming characteristic branching patterns and terminate in the second optic ganglion, the medulla. The lateral branching pattern of svf 2 into adjacent cartridges is unique for hymenopterans. In addition, all four types of L-fibres show dorso-ventrally arranged, wide, lateral branching in this nocturnal bee. This is in contrast to the diurnal bees Apis mellifera and Lasioglossum leucozonium, where only two out of four L-fibre types (L2 and L4) reach neighbouring cartridges. In M. genalis, L1 forms two sub-types, viz. L1-a and L1-b; L1-b in particular has the potential to contact several neighbouring cartridges. L2 and L4 in the nocturnal bee are similar to L2 and L4 in the diurnal bees but have dorso-ventral arborisations that are twice as wide. A new type of laterally spreading L3 has been discovered in the nocturnal bee. The extensive neural branching pattern of L-fibres in M. genalis indicates a potential role for these neurons in the spatial summation of photons from large groups of ommatidia. This specific adaptation in the nocturnal bee could significantly improve reliability of vision in dim light.

Retinal and optical adaptations for nocturnal vision in the halictid bee Megalopta genalis

The apposition compound eye of a nocturnal bee, the halictid Megalopta genalis, is described for the first time. Compared to the compound eye of the worker honeybee Apis mellifera and the diurnal halictid bee Lasioglossum leucozonium, the eye of M. genalis shows specific retinal and optical adaptations for vision in dim light. The major anatomical adaptations within the eye of the nocturnal bee are (1) nearly twofold larger ommatidial facets and (2) a 4-5 times wider rhabdom diameter than found in the diurnal bees studied. Optically, the apposition eye of M. genalis is 27 times more sensitive to light than the eyes of the diurnal bees. This increased optical sensitivity represents a clear optical adaptation to low light intensities. Although this unique nocturnal apposition eye has a greatly improved ability to catch light, a 27-fold increase in sensitivity alone cannot account for nocturnal vision at light intensities that are 8 log units dimmer than during daytime. New evidence suggests that additional neuronal spatial summation within the first optic ganglion, the lamina, is involved.

The first optic ganglion of the bee. V. Structural and functional characterization of centrifugally arranged interneurones

The organization, characterization and connectivity patterns of four different interneurone types were studied with the use of Golgi light- and electron-microscopic techniques. All four cell types originate in the outer chiasma; they have an efferent end-branch in the lamina and an afferent one terminating in the distal region of the second optic ganglion, the medulla. These interneurones are referred to as: (i) Garland-cell: The efferent fibre has on its tangential branch numerous centripetal side branches, so-called "garlands", which synapse with first- and second-order visual cells. (ii) Y-cell: The lamina branch bifurcates before entering the lamina. It innervates two neighbouring cartridges. Synaptic contacts were seen in two different laminar strata where bottle-brush-like collaterals occurred. (iii) Single bottle-brush cell: The efferent part has only one centrifugal branch, which can be compared morphologically and in terms of synaptology with those of the Y-cell. (iv) Triptych-cell: The lamina component innervates three neighbouring cartridges at three different laminar layers interconnecting different first- and second-order visual neurones. The present study provides some essential qualitative and quantitative fine-structural information, which - when compared with adequate physiological data - may lead to a better understanding of the function of the first visual information-processing centre of the bee.

The second and third optic ganglia of the worker bee: Golgi studies of the neuronal elements in the medulla and lobula

The gross morphology and the fine-structural characteristics of neurones of the second and third optic ganglia of the honeybee Apis mellifera were investigated light microscopically on the basis of Golgi (selective silver)- and reduced silver preparations. The second optic ganglion, the medulla, is ovoid in shape and has a slightly convex distal surface and a slightly concave proximal surface. The medullar outer levels are characteristically composed of neuronal arrangements showing strict precision of their geometrical spacing proximally as far as a pronounced layer of tangential fibre elements comprising the serpentine layer of the medulla. At the inner medullary levels retinotopic channels are again multiplied, and the arrangement of axons and dendrites contribute to a complex lattice. The third optic ganglion, the lobula, is interposed between the medulla and the protocerebrum. It is the site of termination of the third-order neurones. The lobula in hymenopterans appears, in contrast to dipterans, odonates and lepidopterans, as a single neuropilic mass. A short review of the electrophysiological data concerning these two ganglia has been tentatively correlated with some of the anatomical data.

The first optic ganglion of the bee. IV. Synaptic fine structure and connectivity patterns of receptor cell axons and first order interneurones

The synaptic relationships between and within receptor-cell axons (RCAs), first-order interneurones (L-fibres) and accessory fibres (acc) in the first optic ganglion (the lamina) of the worker bee were studied in serial sections with Golgi-EM and routine transmission electron microscopy. The ommatidium contains nine retinular (photoreceptor) cells all of which project as RCAs to a single optical cartridge in the lamina. Six of the RCAs end as short visual fibres (svf) in the lamina, while the remaining three, the so-called long visual fibres (lvf), pass the lamina and end in the second optic ganglion, the medulla. In addition to the RCAs and an unknown number of accessory fibres, the cartridge also contains four L-fibres (L1--4). The spatial arrangement of the RCAs and L-fibres within a cartridge is constant throughout the depth of the lamina. Serial sections reveal a great number of chemical synapses interconnecting RCAs, L-and ace fibres. Double T-shaped presynaptic dense projections are surrounded and in close association with either spherical or flattened synaptic vesicles. The finding of gap junctions between and within identified RCAs and L-fibres suggest that these axons may be electronically coupled. A model for information processing in the lamina of the bee is suggested from observations of synaptic connectivity between and within fibres of one cartridge.

The synaptic organization of visual interneurons in the lobula complex of flies. A light and electron microscopical study using silver-intensified cobalt-impregnations

The synaptic organization of three classes of cobalt-filled and silver-intensified visual interneurons in the lobula complex of the blowfly Calliphora (Col A cells, horizontal cells and vertical cells) was studied electron microscopically. The Col A cells are regularly spaced, columnar, small field neurons of the lobula, which constitute a plexus of arborizations at the posterior surface of the neuropil and the axons of which terminate in the ventrolateral protocerebrum. They show postsynaptic specializations in the distal layer of their lobula-arborizations and additional presynaptic sites in a more proximal layer; their axon terminals are presynaptic to large descending neurons projecting into the thoracic ganglion. The horizontal and vertical cells are giant tangential neurons, the arborizations of which cover the anterior and posterior surface of the lobula plate, respectively, and which terminate in the perioesophageal region of the protocerebrum. Both classes of these giant neurons were found to be postsynaptic in the lobula plate and pre- and postsynaptic at their axon terminals and axon collaterals. The significance of these findings with respect to the functional properties of the neurons investigated is discussed.

Light and electron microscopic structure of Golgi-stained neurons in the vertebrate brain (new rapid Golgi procedure)

After application of a rapid, selective silver impregnation procedure for light (LM) and electron (EM) microscopy, individual neurons are distinguished by a light silver precipitation. The silver content is sufficient that entire nerve cells can be observed light microscopically; on the other hand, electron microscopically the cytological details are still visible. Brains of mice were fixed by phosphate-buffered aldehyde perfusion, and pices of tissue left in a 1% K2Cr2O7 solution for 13 h before impregnation in a 0.5% AgNO3 solution for 2 h. Thick sections (30-50 micron) of the impregnated tissue were cut; from these sections, suitably stained neurons were dissected out and re-embedded for ultrathin sectioning, thereby allowing observations on the same neurons at the EM level. A thin silver deposit was observed along the delimiting neuronal membrane, the microtubules and the smooth ER, including the spinal apparatus of the dendritic spines. The fine cytoplasmic details of the impregnated neurons and the surrounding tissue are well preserved and, therefore, suitable for subsequent determination of synaptic relationships of the impregnated neurons with the adjacent neuronal elements.

The first optic ganglion of the bee. III. Regional comparison of the morphology of photoreceptor-cell axons

The nine receptor cells in each ommatidium of the worker bee end as six short visual fibres in the lamina and as three long visual fibres in the medulla. Behavioural and physiological evidence for regional variation in spectral sensitivity prompted observations on the morphology of the visual units. The distribution, branching pattern, diameter and the arrangement of axonal protusions of the characteristic receptor-cell axons were studied in various regions of the lamina. The six short visual fibres and two of the long visual fibres in each laminar cartridge are uniform over the total eye surface. Only the receptor axons of the ninth cell a UV and polarised light-sensitive cell, show obvious regional variation. In view of the regional constancy in morphology of eight of the nine receptor-cell axons, the regional variations in spectral sensitivity demand either functional subdivision of morphologically indistinguishable photoreceptors (e.g., content of different visual pigments) or a highly complex connectivity pattern of their axons in the first optic ganglion.

Structural Differences in the Tracheal Tapetum of Diurnal Butterflies

The three-dimensional structure of the tracheal tapetum lucidum, its reflection properties and the resulting eye glow hue were studied in members of the diurnal butterfly families Pieridae, Nymphalidae, Satyridae and Lycaenidae. Two main groups of tapeta can be distinguished by structural and physiological differences. Whereas in pierids the main tracheal trunk at the bottom of the rhabdom bifurcates into two side branches before bifurcating again more distally, the tracheal trunk in the members of the family Nymphalidae, Satyridae and Lycaenidae investigated first divides into four side brandies. A second bifurcation shortly after the first results in eight subbranches which are regularly arranged between adjoining receptor cells. The broad banded reflection colour from incidently illuminated tapetal structures (at the level of the first bifurcation) varies between and within families but does not change significantly within the same eye. Whereas in nymphalids, satyrids and lycaenids the eye glow hue corresponds with the colour of the tapetal reflection, in pierids it is dominated by the coloured receptor screening pigment.

Colour receptors in the eye of the digger wasp, Sphex cognatus Smith: evaluation by selective adaptation

Pigment granule migration in pigment cells and retinula cells of the digger wasp Sphex cognatus Smith was analysed morphologically after light adaptation to natural light, dark adaptation and after four selective chromatic adaptations in the range between 358 nm and 580 nm and used as the index of receptor cell sensitivity. The receptor region of each ommatidium consists of nine retinula cells which form a centrally located rhabdom. Two morphologically and physiologically different visual units can be described, defined by the arrangement of the rhabdomeric microvilli, the topographical relationship of the receptor cells with respect to the eye axes and the unique retinula cell screening pigmentation. These two different sets of ommatidia (type A and B) are randomly distributed in a ratio of 1:3 throughout the eye (Ribi, 1978b). Chromatic adaptation experiments with wavelengths of 358nm, 443nm, 523nm and 580nm and subsequent histological examination reveal two UV receptors, two blue receptors and four yellow-green receptors in type A ommatidia and two UV receptors and six green to yellow-green receptors in type B ommatidia. The pigments in cells surrounding each ommatidium (two primary pigment cells, 20 secondary pigment cells and four pigmented cone extensions) were not affected significantly by the adaptation experiments.

Gap junctions coupling photoreceptor axons in the first optic ganglion of the fly

The first optic ganglion of the fly, the lamina ganglionaris, was investigated with the transmission electron microscope for the purpose of demonstrating possible electronic junctions. Within a cartridge, the six short receptor cell axons R1--R6 are extensively coupled by symmetrical gap junctions. This is mainly seen in the distal third of the first synaptic region where none or only a few lateral branches of the centrally lying L-fibres (L1, L2) penetrate the ring of six short receptor fibre endings. Gap junctions as found between R1--R6 are distinguished morphologically from chemically-mediated synapses by the closely apposed cell membranes. They exhibit only a 2--4 nm extracellular cleft. Unlike the chemical synapse the gap junction in the neuropile of the fly appears structurally symmetrical. No such gap junctions are found either between R-fibres and glial cells, interneurons and glial cells, between glial cells and between interneurones themselves, nor between the parallel long receptor axons R7/8, which bypass the lamina outside the cartridge. In accordance with electrophysiological data, it can now be argued that the six short receptor axons R1--R6 are electrically interconnected by symmetrical gap junctions.

Ultrastructure and migration of screening pigments in the retina of Pieris rapae L. (Lepidoptera, Pieridae)

The retinal morphology of the butterfly, Pieris rapae L., was investigated using light and electron microscopy with special emphasis on the morphology and distribution of its screening pigments. Pigment migration in pigment- and retinula cells was analysed after light-dark adaptation and after different selective chromatic adaptations. The primary pigment cells with white- to yellow-green pigments symmetrically surround the cone process and the distal half of the crystalline cone, whilst the six secondary pigment cells, around each ommatidium, contain dark brown pigment granules. The nine retinula cells in one ommatidium can be categorised into four types. Receptor cells 1-4, which have microvilli in the distal half of the ommatidium only, contain numerous dark brown pigment granules. On the basis of the pigment content and morphology of their pigment granules, two groups of cells, cells 1, 2 and cells 3, 4 can be distinguished. The four diagonally arranged cells (5-8), with rhabdomeric structures and pigments in the proximal half of the cells, contain small red pigment granules of irregular shape. The ninth cell, which has only a small number of microvilli, lacks pigment. Chromatic adaptation experiments in which the location of retinula cell pigment granules was used as a criterium reveal two UV-receptors (cells 1 and 2), two green receptors (cells 3 and 4) and four cells (5-8) containing the red screening pigment, with a yellow-green sensitivity.

The organisation of the lamina ganglionaris of the crabs Scylla serrata and Leptograpsus variegatus

The gross structure and neuronal elements of the first optic ganglion of two crabs, Scylla serrata and Leptograpsus variegatus, are described on the basis of Golgi (selective silver) and reduced silver preparations. Of the eight retinula cells of each ommatidium, seven end within the lamina, while the eighth cell sends a long fibre to the external medulla. Five types on monopolar neurons are described, three types of large tangential fibres, and one fibre which may be centrifugal. The marked stratification of the lamina is produced by several features. The main synaptic region, the plexiform layer, is divided by a band of tangential fibres; the short retinula fibres end at two levels in the plexiform layer; and two types of monopolar cells have arboriasations confined to the distal or proximal parts of the plexiform layer. The information presently available concerning the retina-lamina projection in Crustacea is examined. Some of the implications of retina and lamina structure are discussed in conjunction with what is known about their electrophysiology.

Fine structure of the first optic ganglion (lamina) of the cockroach, Periplaneta americana

The stuctural organization of the first optic ganglion (lamina) of the cockroach (Periplaneta americana) was investigated by the use of light and electron microscopy. Each compound eye of the cockroach is composed of up to 2000 visual units (ommatidia) of the fused rhabdom type. The ommatidia themselves consist of eight receptor cells which terminate as axons in either the first or second optic ganglion. Three different short visual fibre types end in two separate strata in the lamina, and one long fibre type ends in the second optic ganglion. Monopolar second-order neurons with wide field branching patterns in the middle stratum of the first synaptic region have postsynaptic contacts with sort visual fibres. Horizontal fibre elements with branching patterns at different levels of the lamina apparently from three horizontal plexuses with presynaptic and/or postsynaptic connections to first-and second-order neurons. The lack of well-organized fibre cartridges containing a constant number of first and second order neurons in each fascicle and the presence of only unistratified wide field monopolar cells could represent, as compared to other insect orders, a primitive stage in the development of the first optic ganglion.

The first optic ganglion of the bee. II. Topographical relationships of the monopolar cells within and between cartridges

The arrangement of first and second order neurons in an optic cartridge and the topographical relationships of the second order neurons within a cartridge and to groups of surrounding cartridges have been analyzed in the visual system of the bee, Apis mellifera, from light and electron microscope studies on Golgi preparations. At the level of the monopolar cell body layer, the nine retinula cell fibres of each ommatidium, the six short visual fibres arranged in a circle surrounding the three long visual fibres, become cartridges as a consequence of the appearance of the second order neurons (L-fibres) which join the R-fibre bundles. Two of the four different L-fibre types, L-1 and L-2, remain together in the centre of the cartridge throughout the lamina. The axons of the L-3 and L-4 fibres, however, have their position integrated into the circle formed by the endings of the short visual fibres. On the basis of further examination of light and especially electron microscopical Golgi material, the different L-fibres can be classified into four types which appear in each cartridge. The clear stratification in the first synaptic region (A, B and C) seems to be the best criterion for a morphological classification since such a classification necessarily also includes a functional basis. According to a naming system based on the position of the lateral processes, L-fibres with side branches in strata A, B and C are called L-1 fibres. Fibres with lateral processes in strata A and B are L-2 fibres; monopolar cell fibres with branches only in the second stratum B are L-fibres of type 3; and all monopolar cells with branches only in stratum C are called L-4 fibres. In addition to the branching pattern covering only the parent cartridge, two of the four fibre types (L-2 and L-4) have long collaterals reaching neighbouring cartridges: L-2 in stratum A and L-4 in straum C. These collaterals presumably form a substrate for lateral interactions.

A Golgi-electron microscope method for insect nervous tissue

Golgi's light microscope method of selective silver impregnation for nervous tissue combined with electron microscopy appears to offer a promising method for working out the detailed anatomy of individual neurons and their connections. Insect nervous tissue is fixed in a mixture of 2% paraformaldehyde and 2 1/2% glutaraldehyde in Millonig's buffer (pH 7.2) before postfixation for 12 hours in a solution brought to pH 7.2 with KOH containing 2% potassium dichromate, 1% osmium tetroxide and 2% D-glucose. The tissue is then transferred to a solution of 4% potassium dichromate for 1 day; and for 1-2 days to a 0.75% silver nitrate solution. After dehydration and embedding in Araldite, 50 mum sections are made. Areas of interest are cut from these sections and re-embedded in silicone molds. Ultrathin sections are then cut and stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. The Golgi method described here gives good results at the level of both light and electron microscopy.

The first optic ganglion of the bee. I. Correlation between visual cell types and their terminals in the lamina and medulla

Each visual unit (ommatidium) of the compound eye of the honey bee contains nine retinula cells, six of which end as axons in the first synaptic ganglion, the lamina, and three in the second optic ganglion, the medulla. A technique allowing light- and electron microscopy to be performed on the same silver-impregnated sections has made it possible to follow all types of retinula axons of one ommatidium to their terminals in order to study the shape of the terminal branches with their position in the cartridge. 1. The axons of retinula cells 1-6 (numbered according to Menzel and Snyder, 1974) end as three different types of short visual fibres (svf) in the lamina; the axons of retinula cells 7-9 run through the lamina to terminate in the medulla and are known as long visual fibres (lvf). Retinula cells of each type are identified by the location of their cell bodies and by the direction of their microvilli. The retinula cells 1 and 4 (group I according to Gribakin, 1967) end as svf type 1 with three tassel-like branches in stratum B of the first synaptic region. The pair of cells 3, 6 and the pair 2, 5 (group II) end in the first synaptic region in stratum A. Cells 3 and 6 have forked endings, svf type 2, whereas cells 2 and 5 have tapered endings, svf type 3. The remaining retinula cells 7, 8 and 9 have long fibres. Nos. 7 and 8 (group III) have tapered endings and are termed lvf types 1 and 2, respectively. The 9th cell is the lvf type 3 with a highly branched ending. 2. The nine axons in the bundle from one ommatidium have relative positions which do not change from the proximal retina to the monopolar cell body layer. 3. By following silver-stained retinula cells and their corresponding axons, it is possible to describe mirror-image arrangements of fibres in the axon bundles in different parts of the eye. This correlation of numbered retinula cells with specific axon types, together with the highly organized pattern in an axon bundle, allows the correlation between histological and physiological findings on polarization and colour perception.

The Organization of the Lamina ganglionaris of the Bee

Bee, Vision, First Optic Ganglion The lamina ganglionaris of the bee contains the first synaptic region in the optic tract. The nine retinula cells of one visual unit (ommatidium) either end in the lamina as short visual fibres or end as long visual fibres in the second optic ganglion (medulla). Each axon bundle of nine fibres from one ommatidium is associated with four different second order neurons (L-fibres) to form a single lamina cartridge. Processes of additional fibres invade single groups of cartridges.

Golgi studies of the first optic ganglion of the ant, Cataglyphis bicolor

The neurons of the first optic ganglion (the lamina) in the desert ant, Cataglyphis bicolor, have been studied with the light microscope after Golgi silver impregnation. The different types of retinal and laminal fibres and their configuration are compared with the results obtained in the bee. The first synaptic region in the visual system of the ant lies proximally to the fenestrated layer below the basement membrane and the layer containing the monopolar cell bodies. The synaptic region can be separated into three morphologically different zones: (1) The most distal layer where the short visual fibres end at two different levels. The short visual fibres and some laminal fibres (monopolar cell fibres) also show lateral elements in this region. (2) The second layer appears almost free of branches of retinal and laminal fibres. (3) The most proximal layer, which has a characteristically dense horizontal structure resulting from the lateral elements of long visual, centrifugal, monopolar and tangential fibres. Nine cell axons arising from each ommatidium leave the retina. Six of these are short visual fibres and end at two different levels in the lamina. Three different types of short visual fibres can be distinguished by their different terminal depths and lateral branching pattern. The remaining three fibres, the long visual fibres, terminate in the medulla. They can be distinguished from each other by their lateral elements in the lamina neuropile. The five morphologically different laminal fibre types (axons of the monopolar cells in the lamina) have different shapes and different arborizations at different levels. Tangential, centrifugal and incerta sedis-fibres, which originate either from cell bodies in the cell body layer at the periphery of the outer chiasma or more centrally, terminate in the synaptic region of the lamina. Consideration is given to the clearly demarkated arrangement and length of the branching pattern of retinal and laminal fibres at different levels of the synaptic region of the lamina. In addition, a hypothetical connectivity pattern is discussed.