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About the Cover
Cover:
The eye of the ball-rolling dung beetle Scarabaeus zambesianus is divided into dorsal and ventral parts. The upper part of the dorsal eye (blue) is used for polarised light analysis. Here, the microvilli of the seven retinula cells run in only two directions, forming an almost heart-shaped structure in cross-section. These receptors differ from the regular receptors found in the rest of the eye (green). Using behavioural experiments in the field and in the laboratory, Dacke, Nordström and Scholtz (pp. 1535-1543) show that the beetle can orient to the polarised light pattern of evening skylight. Photographs by M. Dacke, R. Wallén and M. Pfaff.
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