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Angular sensitivity of the bee ommatidium

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Summary

Light propagation within the worker bee ommatidium is analyzed. The angular sensitivity of the ommatidium can be separated into a product of the bee's dioptric apparatus and rhabdom angular sensitivities. The discrepancy in angular sensitivity between recent electrophysiological measurements and ray tracing procedures for the worker bee arises because the field of view of the rhabdom is smaller than that of the optical system in front of it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Mathematics, Institute of Advanced Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

    Allan W. Snyder

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  1. Allan W. Snyder
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Additional information

I thank G. A. Horridge for suggesting this research, Simon Laughlin for providing the results of his recordings from the worker bee and J. W. Blamey for helpful discussion on optical systems.

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Snyder, A.W. Angular sensitivity of the bee ommatidium. Z. vergl. Physiologie 76, 438–445 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337784

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337784

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