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Insect Dorsal Ocelli: A Brief Overview

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Distributed Vision

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Vision Research ((SSVR))

Abstract

The dorsal ocelli of adult insects are simple eyes that can complement or act independently from the compound eye visual system. While notably absent in some species, they are present across the insect phylogeny but can vary dramatically in their anatomy, neuronal organisation, physiology and function. In some species, they appear to only detect changes in light intensity, while in others, they modulate compound eye responses, mediate orientation using polarised light or function as a zeitgeber in the timing of daily activity. Their variability across, and even within, species suggests that insect dorsal ocelli are relatively malleable organs, and there is still much that remains to be learned about the ecological and phylogenetic factors that have shaped them. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of the exciting and remarkable findings of the past century of research into the dorsal ocelli of insects. Our aim is to inspire future studies into these dynamic sensory organs, not only to improve our understanding of this enigmatic sensory system but also to bring deeper insights into the fascinating world of insect sensory biology.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Emily Baird

  2. Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Ayse Yilmaz

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  1. Emily Baird
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  2. Ayse Yilmaz
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Correspondence to Emily Baird .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Elke Buschbeck

  2. Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Michael Bok

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Baird, E., Yilmaz, A. (2023). Insect Dorsal Ocelli: A Brief Overview. In: Buschbeck, E., Bok, M. (eds) Distributed Vision. Springer Series in Vision Research. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-23216-9_8

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