Neuronal connections in the ocellus of the wasp (Paravespula vulgaris L.).
Studies of the dorsal ocelli of the wasp Paravespula vulgaris (L.) led to the following results: Under a biconvex corneal lens, 150 microns in thickness, about 600 receptor cells are located. The rhabdomeres of two adjacent cells form a closed plate-like rhabdom (0.5--1.0 micron in thickness, 6 microns in width and 10--25 microns in depth or length). In the lateral ocellus the receptor cells synapse up to 8 ocellar nerve fibers, and in the median ocellus they synapse up to 16 (20--30 microns thick) ocellar nerve fibers. The ocellar synaptic plexus may display three types of synapses between the two types of neurons: (i) Receptor-cell axons are presynaptic to dendrites of the first-order interneurons. (ii) Dendrites of the first-order interneurons are presynaptic to receptor-cell axons. (iii) The subunits of a dendrite of first-order interneurons form synapses with each other.
D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003712:Dendrites / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005123:Eye / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006927:Hymenoptera / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007395:Interneurons / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013569:Synapses / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014863:Wasps / Q000648:ultrastructure*