Abstract
In this chapter we show that the polarization visibility of water surfaces is an important factor in the colonization of aquatic habitats by flying water beetles using horizontal polarization of water-reflected light to seek potential locations. After mowing of cattail (Typha sp.), for example, in freshwater marshes, aquatic beetles become more abundant due to the higher water temperature and the enhanced polarization visibility of the water surface. Here we also show that it is worth flying at dusk for aquatic insects, because the polarotactic water detection is easiest at low solar elevations. Polarotactic water insects interpret a surface as water if the degree of linear polarization of reflected light is higher than a threshold and the deviation of the direction of polarization from the horizontal is lower than a threshold. At sunrise and sunset the polarization visibility of water surfaces is maximal. Thus, the risk that a polarotactic insect will be unable to recognize the surface of a dark or bright water body is minimal at low solar elevations. The daily change in the reflection-polarization pattern of water surfaces is an important visual ecological factor that contributes to the preference of the twilight period for habitat searching by polarotactic water insects. Air temperature at sunrise is generally low, so dusk is one of the optimal periods for polarotactic aquatic insects to seek new habitats.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
At the Brewster angle θ Brewster (=arctan n ≈ 53° from the vertical for the refractive index n = 1.33 of water), the surface-reflected ray of light is perpendicular to the refracted ray penetrating into water.
References
Ball JP (1990) Influence of subsequent flooding depth on cattail control by burning and mowing. J Aquat Plant Manag 28:32–36
Bernáth B, Szedenics G, Wildermuth H, Horváth G (2002) How can dragonflies discern bright and dark waters from a distance? The degree of polarization of reflected light as a possible cue for dragonfly habitat selection. Freshw Biol 47:1707–1719
Bernáth B, Gál J, Horváth G (2004) Why is it worth flying at dusk for aquatic insects? Polarotactic water detection is easiest at low solar elevations. J Exp Biol 207:755–765
Csabai Z, Boda P, Bernáth B, Kriska G, Horváth G (2006) A ‘polarisation sun-dial’ dictates the optimal time of day for dispersal by flying aquatic insects. Freshw Biol 51:1341–1350
Csabai Z, Kálmán Z, Szivák I, Boda P (2012) Diel flight behaviour and dispersal patterns of aquatic Coleoptera and Heteroptera species with special emphasis on the importance of seasons. Naturwissenschaften 99:751–765
Danilevskii AS (1965) Photoperiodism and seasonal development of insects. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh, London
Danthanarayana W (ed) (1986) Insect flight: dispersal and migration. Springer, Heidelberg
DeBusk TA, DeBusk WF (2000) Wetlands for water treatment. In: Kent DM (ed) Applied wetland science and technology, 2nd edn. Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, MI
Fairchild GW, Cruz J, Faulds AM, Short AEZ, Matta JF (2003) Microhabitat and landscape influences on aquatic beetle assemblages in a cluster of temporary and permanent ponds. J N Am Benthol Soc 22:224–240
Fernando CH, Galbraith D (1973) Seasonality and dynamics of aquatic insects colonizing small habitats. Verhandlungen des Internationalen Vereins für Limnologie 18:1564–1575
Gál J, Horváth G, Meyer-Rochow VB (2001) Measurement of the reflection-polarization pattern of the flat water surface under a clear sky at sunset. Remote Sens Environ 76:103–111
Horváth G (1995) Reflection-polarization patterns at flat water surfaces and their relevance for insect polarization vision. J Theor Biol 175:27–37
Horváth G, Kriska G (2008) Polarization vision in aquatic insects and ecological traps for polarotactic insects. In: Lancaster J, Briers RA (eds) Aquatic insects: challenges to populations. CAB International Publishing, Wallingford, Oxon, pp 204–229
Horváth G, Pomozi I (1997) How celestial polarization changes due to reflection from the deflector panels used in deflector loft and mirror experiments studying avian navigation. J Theor Biol 184:291–300
Horváth G, Varjú D (1995) Underwater refraction-polarization patterns of skylight perceived by aquatic animals through Snell's window of the flat water surface. Vis Res 35:1651–1666
Horváth G, Varjú D (1997) Polarization pattern of freshwater habitats recorded by video polarimetry in red, green and blue spectral ranges and its relevance for water detection by aquatic insects. J Exp Biol 200:1155–1163
Horváth G, Varjú D (2004) Polarized light in animal vision—polarization patterns in nature. Springer, Heidelberg
Johnson GC (1969) Migration and dispersal of insects by flight. Methuen and Co., London
Kercher SM, Zedler JB (2004) Flood tolerance in wetland angiosperms: a comparison of invasive and noninvasive species. Aquat Bot 80:89–102
King RS, Wrubleski DA (1998) Spatial and diel availability of flying insects as potential duckling food in prairie wetlands. Wetlands 18:100–114
Kostecke RM, Smith LM, Hands HM (2004) Vegetation response to cattail management at Cheyenne Bottoms, Kansas. J Aquat Plant Manag 42:39–45
Kriska G, Bernáth B, Farkas R, Horváth G (2009) Degrees of polarization of reflected light eliciting polarotaxis in dragonflies (Odonata), mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and tabanid flies (Tabanidae). J Insect Physiol 55:1167–1173
Landin J (1968) Weather and diurnal periodicity of flight by Helophorus brevipalpis Bedel (Col. Hydrophilidae). Opuscula Entomologica 33:28–36
Lundkvist E, Landin J, Milberg P (2001) Diving beetle (Dytiscidae) assemblages along environmental gradients in an agricultural landscape in southeastern Sweden. Wetlands 21:48–58
Molnár Á, Hegedüs R, Kriska G, Horváth G (2011) Effect of cattail (Typha spp.) mowing on water beetle assemblages: changes of environmental factors and the aerial colonization of aquatic habitats. J Insect Conserv 15:389–399
Murkin HR, Kaminski RM, Titman RD (1982) Responses by dabbling ducks and aquatic invertebrates to an experimentally manipulated cattail marsh. Can J Zool 60:2324–2332
Nilsson AN, Söderstrom O (1988) Larval consumption rates, interspecific predation, and local guild composition of egg-overwintering Agabus (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) species in vernal ponds. Oecologia 76:131–137
Nilsson AN, Svensson BW (1995) Assemblages of Dytiscid predators and Culicid prey in relation to environmental-factors in natural and clear-cut boreal swamp forest pools. Hydrobiologia 308:183–196
Popham EJ (1964) The migration of aquatic bugs with special reference to the Corixidae (Hemiptera Heteroptera). Arch Hydrobiol 60:450–496
Saunders DS (1981) Insect photoperiodism. In: Handbook of Behavioral Neurobiology (J Aschoff, ed) Plenum Press, New York
Schwind R (1991) Polarization vision in water insects and insects living on a moist substrate. J Comp Physiol A 169:531–540
Schwind R (1995) Spectral regions in which aquatic insects see reflected polarized-light. J Comp Physiol A 177:439–448
Schwind R, Horváth G (1993) Reflection-polarization pattern at water surfaces and correction of a common representation of the polarization pattern of the sky. Naturwissenschaften 80:82–83 + cover picture
Wildermuth H (1998) Dragonflies recognize the water of rendezvous and oviposition sites by horizontally polarized light: a behavioural field test. Naturwissenschaften 85:297–302
Zalom FG, Grigarick AA, Way MO (1979) Seasonal and diel flight periodicities of rice field Hydrophilidae. Environ Entomol 8:938–943
Zalom FG, Grigarick AA, Way MO (1980) Diel flight periodicities of some Dytiscidae (Coleoptera) associated with California rice paddies. Ecol Entomol 5:183–187
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
1 Electronic Supplementary Material
Supplementary figures and two video clips are available in the online version of this chapter. The videos can also be accessed at http://www.springerimages.com/videos/<ISBNprint>
Supplementary Fig. 16.1
Photographs, patterns of the intensity I, degree d and angle α (clockwise from the vertical) of linear polarization, and areas detected polarotactically as water (for which d > 10 % and 80° < α < 100°) of a water channel (the surface of which is partly covered by cattail) measured by imaging polarimetry in the blue (450 nm), green (550 nm) and red (650 nm) parts of the spectrum. The angle of elevation of the optical axis of the polarimeter was −35° from the horizontal (CDR 5328 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.2
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water channel, the surface of which is open (without water plants) (CDR 5215 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.3
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water surface, which is totally covered by cattail (CDR 5292 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.4
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a region of a water body, when it is almost totally covered by cattail (CDR 5547 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.5
As Supplementary Fig. 16.4 for a region of a water body, when it is covered by mowed cattail (CDR 5446 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.6
As Supplementary Fig. 16.5 for a region of a water body, when the mowed cattail is raked away (CDR 5544 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.7
As Supplementary Fig. 16.6 from the side (CDR 3708 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.8
As Supplementary Fig. 16.7 from a remote distance (CDR 3463 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.9
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 5489 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.10
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 5284 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.11
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 5578 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.12
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4833 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.13
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 5277 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.14
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4815 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.15
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4421 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.16
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 5089 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.17
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4672 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.18
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4466 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.19
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4718 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.20
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4560 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.21
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4988 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.22
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4850 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.23
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4311 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.24
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 3558 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.25
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 3614 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.26
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4018 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.27
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4071 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.28
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4622 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.29
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 3330 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.30
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 5387 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.31
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 3986 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.32
As Supplementary Fig. 16.1 for a water body (CDR 4530 kb)
Supplementary Fig. 16.33
Colour photographs (without polarisers) of the mirror image of the clear sky reflected from the grey water dummy used by Bernáth et al. (2004), patterns of the degree d and angle α (measured from the local meridian) of linear polarization of reflected skylight, and the area detected polarotactically as water as a function of the solar elevation θ. The grey water dummy is composed of a horizontal glass pane underlain by a matt grey cloth. The polarization patterns are measured by 180° field-of-view imaging polarimetry in the blue (450 nm) spectral range. Chequered areas show those regions, which are inappropriate for comparative analysis due to unwanted overexposure, shadows and mirror images of the polarimeter, its holder and remote cord. In the right column regions are shaded by black, where d > 5 % and 85° ≤ α ≤ 95°. A polarotactic water insect is assumed to consider a surface as water, if these two conditions are satisfied for the partially linearly polarized reflected light. In the right column the regions where these criteria are not satisfied remained blank. The positions of the mirror image of the Sun are shown by dots; the Brewster angle (56° from the nadir for glass with index of refraction n glass = 1.5) is represented by an inner circle within the circular patterns [after Fig. 2 on page 759 of Bernáth et al. (2004)] (CDR 1145 kb)
Video Clip 16.1
Patterns of the intensity I (upper row), degree d (middle row) and angle α (clockwise from the local meridian, lower row) of linear polarization of reflected skylight as a function of the position of the mirror image of the sun for a horizontal glass pane underlined with a matte black cloth (imitating the surface of a dark water body) measured by 180° field-of-view imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm, left column), green (550 nm, middle column) and blue (450 nm, right column) parts of the spectrum under a clear sky between sunrise and noon. The centre and perimeter of the circular patterns are the nadir and the horizon, respectively. In the d- and α-patterns the over-exposed glass regions are shaded by red and black, respectively (copyright holders: Dr. Balázs Bernáth and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 4598 kb)
Video Clip 16.2
Patterns of the intensity I (upper row), degree d (middle row) and angle α (clockwise from the local meridian, lower row) of linear polarization of reflected skylight as a function of the position of the mirror image of the sun for a horizontal glass pane underlined with a matte light grey cloth (imitating the surface of a bright water body) measured by 180° field-of-view imaging polarimetry in the red (650 nm, left column), green (550 nm, middle column) and blue (450 nm, right column) parts of the spectrum under a clear sky between sunrise and noon. The centre and perimeter of the circular patterns are the nadir and the horizon, respectively. In the d- and α-patterns the over-exposed glass regions are shaded by red and black, respectively (copyright holders: Dr. Balázs Bernáth and Dr. Gábor Horváth) (GIF 4598 kb)
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Horváth, G. (2014). Polarization Patterns of Freshwater Bodies with Biological Implications. In: Horváth, G. (eds) Polarized Light and Polarization Vision in Animal Sciences. Springer Series in Vision Research, vol 2. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54718-8_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-54718-8_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-54717-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-54718-8
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)