Insect Sensing
-Entomology
210
Knowing The
World
The 5 Senses and Primary Sensory Mode in
People, Birds, and Insects
| |
|
Primary Sense
|
| Sense |
Mechanism |
Humans |
Birds |
Insects |
| sight |
bio-physical |
X
|
X
|
x
|
| smell |
chemical |
|
|
X
|
| taste |
chemical |
|
|
x
|
| touch |
vibration (movement) |
|
|
|
| hearing |
vibration (movement) |
|
|
|
Photo Reception
Compound Eye
Major visual organ of
adults and nymphs. Located on the side of the insect head, may be expanded
to other areas.
Each compound
eye is made up of a few to several
thousand elements called ommatidia. The ommatidia is the visual sensing
element of the compound eye. What is seen by the insect is a mosaic of
"pictures" from each of the ommatidia. How the mosaic is integrated in
the insect brain is not known.
Ommatidia
- light gathering and sensing function, hexagonal or circular in shape.
The function of the insect compound eye is similar
to ours.
The insect eye and the human eye use similar chemicals
to convert light energy to electrical energy.
| Visual
Spectrum |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
humans:
|
red |
orange |
yellow |
green |
blue-green |
blue |
violet |
|
| honey bees: |
|
|
yellow |
green |
blue-green |
blue |
violet |
ultraviolet |
The insect eye
-
perception of shapes
but no variable focusing
-
movement detection is
very good
-
depth perception is very
good in some insects
Simple Eyes
1. Ocelli
- found on adults and nymphs (found in insects with gradual metamorphosis)
-
accessory eyes, do not
form image
-
simple morphology, a
disk to gather light
-
location -
-
top and front of head
between the compound eyes
-
2 to 3 in number
-
function -
-
regulate daily rhythms
-
respond to large, sudden
changes in light intensity
2. Stemmata
- found on larvae of insects with complete metamorphosis
-
also called lateral ocelli
-
simple eyes with poor
image reception, between that of ocelli and ommatidia
-
location - side of head
-
function
-
some form perception
-
regulate daily rhythms??
-
number
-
no more than 12, us.
6
-
not in a group
Insect
Eye Summary
Compound
Eye - primary eye of immature
insects with incomplete metamorphosis and of adult insects with incomplete
and complete (most) metamorphosis.
Ocelli
- 1 to 3 simple eyes located dorsally on the insect head. Found on nymphs
and adults of insects with incomplete metamorphosis.
Stemmata
- simple eyes on sides of insect head, when compound eyes are lacking called
lateral ocelli. Found in larvae of insects with complete metamorphosis
and those without compound eyes.
Insect Antennae
Taste,
Smell, and Touch Organs
Antennae -
paired, segmented appendages located between the eyes
Function
-
chemical - taste and
smell
-
tactile
-
biophysical ?
-
claspers
-
morphology is related
to function
Sensing Vibration
-
movement
-
tympanic sensors - hearing
organs
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Last updated dec. 30, 2000
Gary Brewer