Polarization Vision of Aquatic Insects

Horváth, Gábor; Csabai, Zoltán

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-54718-8_5

Cited by 40 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…2014 ; Horváth 2014 ). Insects, in particular, use horizontally polarized reflections from water surfaces (e.g., Figure 2B ) to locate natural ponds and pools ( Schwind 1984a , 1984b ; Horváth and Varjú 2003 ; Horváth and Csabai 2014 ). In fact, the response is so widespread and invariant among aquatic insects that it has become a problem.…”

Section: Sensory Drive and The Evolution Of Linearly Polarized-light mentioning

confidence: 99%

A different view: sensory drive in the polarized-light realm

Cronin

2018

Current Zoology

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Sensory drive, the concept that sensory systems primarily evolve under the influence of environmental features and that animal signals are evolutionarily shaped and tuned by these previously existing sensory systems, has been thoroughly studied regarding visual signals across many animals. Much of this work has focused on spectral aspects of vision and signals. Here, I review work on polarized-light signals of animals and relate these to what is known of polarization visual systems, polarized-light aspects of visual scenes, and polarization-related behavior (e.g., orientation, habitat-finding, contrast enhancement). Other than the broad patterns of scattered polarized light in the sky, most polarization in both terrestrial and aquatic environments results from either reflection or scattering in the horizontal plane. With overhead illumination, horizontal features such as the surfaces of many leaves or of air: water interfaces reflect horizontal polarization, and water scatters horizontally polarized light under most conditions. Several animal species have been demonstrated to use horizontally polarized light fields or features in critical aspects of their biology. Significantly, most biological signals are also horizontally polarized. Here, I present relevant polarization-related behavior and discuss the hypothesis that sensory drive has evolutionarily influenced the structure of polarization signals. The paper also considers the evolutionary origin of circular polarization vision and circularly polarized signals. It appears that this class of signals did not evolve under the influence of sensory drive. The study of signals based on polarized light is becoming a mature field of research.

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Section: Sensory Drive and The Evolution Of Linearly Polarized-light mentioning

confidence: 99%

A different view: sensory drive in the polarized-light realm

Cronin

2018

Current Zoology

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“…A rhabdomere with perfectly aligned microvilli renders a photoreceptor high polarization sensitivity (PS), which is smaller than Δ due to self-screening, except in the special case of a crustacean-type, interdigitated rhabdom ( Snyder, 1973 ), found also in the horsefly retina ( Wunderer et al, 1990 ). Many insects possess polarization vision by combining photoreceptors with different polarization sensitivities to detect important features in the environment ( Horváth, 2014 ). However, polarization-sensitive photoreceptors absorb a smaller fraction of photons from a non-polarized source than photoreceptors with the same dimensions, but no PS.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Fly Sensitizing Pigment Enhances UV Spectral Sensitivity While Preventing Polarization-Induced Artifacts

Ilić

Meglič

Kreft

et al. 2018

Front. Cell. Neurosci.

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Microvillar photoreceptors are intrinsically capable of detecting the orientation of e-vector of linearly polarized light. They provide most invertebrates with an additional sensory channel to detect important features of their visual environment. However, polarization sensitivity (PS) of photoreceptors may lead to the detection of polarization-induced false colors and intensity contrasts. Most insect photoreceptors are thus adapted to have minimal PS. Flies have twisted rhabdomeres with microvilli rotated along the length of the ommatidia to reduce PS. The additional UV-absorbing sensitizing pigment on their opsin minimizes PS in the ultraviolet. We recorded voltage from Drosophila photoreceptors R1–6 to measure the spectral dependence of PS and found that PS in the UV is invariably negligible but can be substantial above 400 nm. Using modeling, we demonstrate that in R1–6 without the sensitizing pigment, PS in the UV (PSUV) would exceed PS in the visible part of the spectrum (PSVIS) by a factor PSUV/PSVIS = 1.2–1.8, as lower absorption of Rh1 rhodopsin reduces self-screening. We use polarimetric imaging of objects relevant to fly polarization vision to show that their degree of polarization outdoors is highest in the short-wavelength part of the spectrum. Thus, under natural illumination, the sensitizing pigment in R1–6 renders even those cells with high PS in the visible part unsuitable for proper polarization vision. We assume that fly ventral polarization vision can be mediated by R7 alone, with R1–6 serving as an unpolarized reference channel.

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“…A number of flying, water-dependent insects, including dragonflies and the backswimmer Notonecta , detect water bodies by the horizontal e-vector of light reflected from their surfaces (Horvath and Csabai, 2014; Lerner, 2014; Schwind, 1984, 1991; Wildermuth, 1998) (Fig. 1B).…”

Section: Searching For Evidence Of E-vector Perceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Polarization vision (see Glossary) is a multi-purpose visual ability (Horvath, 2014; Marshall et al, 2011; Wehner, 2001; Wehner and Labhart, 2006), with the following proposed or actually demonstrated functions (Fig. 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can invertebrates see the e-vector of polarization as a separate modality of light?

Labhart

2016

Journal of Experimental Biology

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The visual world is rich in linearly polarized light stimuli, which are hidden from the human eye. But many invertebrate species make use of polarized light as a source of valuable visual information. However, exploiting light polarization does not necessarily imply that the electric (e)-vector orientation of polarized light can be perceived as a separate modality of light. In this Review, I address the question of whether invertebrates can detect specific e-vector orientations in a manner similar to that of humans perceiving spectral stimuli as specific hues. To analyze e-vector orientation, the signals of at least three polarization-sensitive sensors (analyzer channels) with different e-vector tuning axes must be compared. The object-based, imaging polarization vision systems of cephalopods and crustaceans, as well as the water-surface detectors of flying backswimmers, use just two analyzer channels. Although this excludes the perception of specific e-vector orientations, a two-channel system does provide a coarse, categoric analysis of polarized light stimuli, comparable to the limited color sense of dichromatic, ‘color-blind’ humans. The celestial compass of insects employs three or more analyzer channels. However, that compass is multimodal, i.e. e-vector information merges with directional information from other celestial cues, such as the solar azimuth and the spectral gradient in the sky, masking e-vector information. It seems that invertebrate organisms take no interest in the polarization details of visual stimuli, but polarization vision grants more practical benefits, such as improved object detection and visual communication for cephalopods and crustaceans, compass readings to traveling insects, or the alert ‘water below!’ to water-seeking bugs.

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Polarization Vision of Aquatic Insects

Cited by 40 publications

References 55 publications

A different view: sensory drive in the polarized-light realm

A different view: sensory drive in the polarized-light realm

The Fly Sensitizing Pigment Enhances UV Spectral Sensitivity While Preventing Polarization-Induced Artifacts

Can invertebrates see the e-vector of polarization as a separate modality of light?

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