title: AFM study of microstructures on the cornea of the compound eye and ocelli of the hornet Vespa orientalis (Insecta, Hymenoptera).
abstract: The present study describes a novel structure occurring on the cornea in the compound eye and the ocellus of the Oriental hornet. This description is based on observations carried out via scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and primarily via atomic force microscopy (AFM). We report herein that the vespan cornea is densely covered with cupola-shaped protrusions, which in the compound eye have bases about 0.2 microm in diameter and an average height of 0.03 microm while upon the ocelli their diameter is rather variable, with some measuring 0.2-0.3 microm, and a length of submicrons to microns. Interspersed among the brief, cupola-shaped structures there are winding, longer structures whose height appears uniform at around 0.03 microm. It appears that the structures are formed from the epicuticular layer of the cornea and we conjecture that in both the compound eye and in the ocelli they serve to enhance the absorption of light, as well as to reduce light reflection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Luba
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Litinetsky
authors.forename: Zahava
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Barkay
authors.forename: Dharamdajal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalicharan
authors.forename: Eyal
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosenzweig
authors.forename: Jacob S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ishay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005123:Eye / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D017956:Photoreceptor Cells, Invertebrate / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014863:Wasps / Q000648:ultrastructure*