Target detection in insects: optical, neural and behavioral optimizations.
Motion vision provides important cues for many tasks. Flying insects, for example, may pursue small, fast moving targets for mating or feeding purposes, even when these are detected against self-generated optic flow. Since insects are small, with size-constrained eyes and brains, they have evolved to optimize their optical, neural and behavioral target visualization solutions. Indeed, even if evolutionarily distant insects display different pursuit strategies, target neuron physiology is strikingly similar. Furthermore, the coarse spatial resolution of the insect compound eye might actually be beneficial when it comes to detection of moving targets. In conclusion, tiny insects show higher than expected performance in target visualization tasks.
PDN Department, University of Cambridge, CB3 2EG, UK; Eugene Bell Center for Regenerative Biology & Tissue Engineering, MBL, Woods Hole, MA USA.
Paloma T
PT
Gonzalez-Bellido
PDN Department, University of Cambridge, CB3 2EG, UK.
Samuel T
ST
Fabian
Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia. Electronic address: Karin.Nordstrom@flinders.edu.au.
Karin
K
Nordström
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000502:physiology