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Colour constancy in diurnal and nocturnal hawkmoths

Balkenius, Anna LU and Kelber, Almut LU (2004) In Journal of Experimental Biology 207(19). p.3307-3316
Abstract
Diurnal and nocturnal hawkmoths have been shown to use colour vision for flower discrimination. Here, we present evidence that the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor and the diurnal hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum also have colour constancy. Colour constancy was shown in D. elpenor in two multiple-choice experiments with five different bluish colour patches under white and blue illumination and with five yellowish colour patches under white, blue and yellow illumination. The mechanism underlying colour constancy in both species was investigated in two dual-choice experiments. The choice behaviour is consistent with the use of the von Kries coefficient law. Although the moths have colour constancy, they react to the colour of the... (More)
Diurnal and nocturnal hawkmoths have been shown to use colour vision for flower discrimination. Here, we present evidence that the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor and the diurnal hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum also have colour constancy. Colour constancy was shown in D. elpenor in two multiple-choice experiments with five different bluish colour patches under white and blue illumination and with five yellowish colour patches under white, blue and yellow illumination. The mechanism underlying colour constancy in both species was investigated in two dual-choice experiments. The choice behaviour is consistent with the use of the von Kries coefficient law. Although the moths have colour constancy, they react to the colour of the illumination. They make fewer choices when tested under the changed illumination, where they never receive a reward, compared with the training illumination. Even if colour constancy can be explained by a von Kries adaptation mechanism, the fact that the animals discriminate between different illuminations indicates that some additional process must be involved. (Less)
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
colour constancy, colour vision, insect, hawkmoth, stellatarum, Macroglossum, Deilephila elpenor
in
Journal of Experimental Biology
volume
207
issue
19
pages
3307 - 3316
publisher
The Company of Biologists Ltd
external identifiers
  • pmid:15326207
  • wos:000224507500016
  • scopus:5344277609
ISSN
1477-9145
DOI
10.1242/jeb.01158
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f429fb82-6927-4feb-82a8-6d5227c8828d (old id 263713)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:32:56
date last changed
2024-02-22 21:10:42
@article{f429fb82-6927-4feb-82a8-6d5227c8828d,
  abstract     = {{Diurnal and nocturnal hawkmoths have been shown to use colour vision for flower discrimination. Here, we present evidence that the nocturnal hawkmoth Deilephila elpenor and the diurnal hawkmoth Macroglossum stellatarum also have colour constancy. Colour constancy was shown in D. elpenor in two multiple-choice experiments with five different bluish colour patches under white and blue illumination and with five yellowish colour patches under white, blue and yellow illumination. The mechanism underlying colour constancy in both species was investigated in two dual-choice experiments. The choice behaviour is consistent with the use of the von Kries coefficient law. Although the moths have colour constancy, they react to the colour of the illumination. They make fewer choices when tested under the changed illumination, where they never receive a reward, compared with the training illumination. Even if colour constancy can be explained by a von Kries adaptation mechanism, the fact that the animals discriminate between different illuminations indicates that some additional process must be involved.}},
  author       = {{Balkenius, Anna and Kelber, Almut}},
  issn         = {{1477-9145}},
  keywords     = {{colour constancy; colour vision; insect; hawkmoth; stellatarum; Macroglossum; Deilephila elpenor}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{19}},
  pages        = {{3307--3316}},
  publisher    = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
  series       = {{Journal of Experimental Biology}},
  title        = {{Colour constancy in diurnal and nocturnal hawkmoths}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.01158}},
  doi          = {{10.1242/jeb.01158}},
  volume       = {{207}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}