Polarisation-dependent colour vision in Papilio butterflies
(2001) In Journal of Experimental Biology 204(14). p.2469-2480- Abstract
- Butterflies of the genus Papilio have polarisation-sensitive photoreceptors in all regions of the eye, and different spectral types of receptor are sensitive to different e-vector orientations. We have studied the consequences of this eye design for colour vision in behavioural tests and find that Papilio spp. see false colours due to the polarisation of light. They discriminate between vertically and horizontally polarised light of the same colour in the contexts of oviposition and feeding. The discrimination depends on the spectral composition of the stimuli. In the blue and probably in the green range, discrimination does not depend on intensity. However, colour discrimination is influenced by polarisation. Thus, colour and polarisation... (More)
- Butterflies of the genus Papilio have polarisation-sensitive photoreceptors in all regions of the eye, and different spectral types of receptor are sensitive to different e-vector orientations. We have studied the consequences of this eye design for colour vision in behavioural tests and find that Papilio spp. see false colours due to the polarisation of light. They discriminate between vertically and horizontally polarised light of the same colour in the contexts of oviposition and feeding. The discrimination depends on the spectral composition of the stimuli. In the blue and probably in the green range, discrimination does not depend on intensity. However, colour discrimination is influenced by polarisation. Thus, colour and polarisation processing are not separated in the visual system of Papilio spp. From these results, we propose hypotheses about which photoreceptors contribute to colour vision in Papilio spp. and what adaptational value such a system might have for the butterflies. Finally, we give examples for other eyes that have a similar structure. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/131369
- author
- Kelber, Almut LU ; Thunell, Christel LU and Arikawa, Kentaro
- organization
- publishing date
- 2001
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- polarisation vision, butterfly, Lepidoptera
- in
- Journal of Experimental Biology
- volume
- 204
- issue
- 14
- pages
- 2469 - 2480
- publisher
- The Company of Biologists Ltd
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000170261200012
- scopus:0035746197
- ISSN
- 1477-9145
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Functional Zoology (432112239), Neuronal Survival (013212041)
- id
- 2492dd36-4187-4392-b05e-ea5c7635066e (old id 131369)
- alternative location
- http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/abstract/204/14/2469
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 12:17:41
- date last changed
- 2022-02-03 20:12:34
@article{2492dd36-4187-4392-b05e-ea5c7635066e,
abstract = {{Butterflies of the genus Papilio have polarisation-sensitive photoreceptors in all regions of the eye, and different spectral types of receptor are sensitive to different e-vector orientations. We have studied the consequences of this eye design for colour vision in behavioural tests and find that Papilio spp. see false colours due to the polarisation of light. They discriminate between vertically and horizontally polarised light of the same colour in the contexts of oviposition and feeding. The discrimination depends on the spectral composition of the stimuli. In the blue and probably in the green range, discrimination does not depend on intensity. However, colour discrimination is influenced by polarisation. Thus, colour and polarisation processing are not separated in the visual system of Papilio spp. From these results, we propose hypotheses about which photoreceptors contribute to colour vision in Papilio spp. and what adaptational value such a system might have for the butterflies. Finally, we give examples for other eyes that have a similar structure.}},
author = {{Kelber, Almut and Thunell, Christel and Arikawa, Kentaro}},
issn = {{1477-9145}},
keywords = {{polarisation vision; butterfly; Lepidoptera}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{14}},
pages = {{2469--2480}},
publisher = {{The Company of Biologists Ltd}},
series = {{Journal of Experimental Biology}},
title = {{Polarisation-dependent colour vision in Papilio butterflies}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/2864174/624201.pdf}},
volume = {{204}},
year = {{2001}},
}