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The Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 2423-2430 (2001)
© 2001 The Company of Biologists Limited

Review

Spatial integration in polarization-sensitive interneurones of crickets: a survey of evidence, mechanisms and benefits

Thomas Labhart^*, Jürgen Petzold and Hansruedi Helbling

Zoologisches Institut der Universität, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland

*Author for correspondence (e-mail: labhart{at}zool.unizh.ch)

Accepted April 19, 2001

Many insects exploit the polarization pattern of the sky for compass orientation in navigation or cruising-course control. Polarization-sensitive neurones (POL1-neurones) in the polarization vision pathway of the cricket visual system have wide visual fields of approximately 60° diameter, i.e. these neurones integrate information over a large area of the sky. This results from two different mechanisms. (i) Optical integration; polarization vision is mediated by a group of specialized ommatidia at the dorsal rim of the eye. These ommatidia lack screening pigment, contain a wide rhabdom and have poor lens optics. As a result, the angular sensitivity of the polarization-sensitive photoreceptors is very wide (median approximately 20°). (ii) Neural integration; each POL1-neurone receives input from a large number of dorsal rim photoreceptors with diverging optical axes. Spatial integration in POL1-neurones acts as a spatial low-pass filter. It improves the quality of the celestial polarization signal by filtering out cloud-induced local disturbances in the polarization pattern and increases sensitivity.

Key words: polarization vision, photoreceptor, interneurone, model neurone, spatial integration, review, cricket, Gryllus campestris.

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