Summary
-
1.
The activity of lateral ocellar nerve fibres of the dragonfly was studied with special reference to the activity of efferent fibres.
-
2.
Afferent and efferent impulses were recorded from the distal and proximal cut-ends of the ocellar nerve using suction electrodes. The lateral ocellar nerve was found to contain, at least, two kinds of afferent (one large and the other small) and three kinds of efferent (one large and the others small) fibres (Fig. 7).
-
3.
The large efferent fibre was activated by illumination of the compound eyes, and also during wingbeat (Figs. 4, 5, and 6).
-
4.
In the intact ocellar nerve, the large afferent fibre was also activated during wing-beat, but the evoked discharge was inhibited by illumination (Fig. 2). The result suggests an excitatory pathway from the efferent fibre to the large afferent within the distal synaptic region of the ocellar nerve.
-
5.
The impulse activities of wing sensory nerves were recorded relative to the position and movement of the wings (Fig. 10).
-
6.
Electric stimulation of a wing sensory nerve produced bursting discharges in efferent fibres in both ipsi- and contra-lateral ocellar nerves (Fig. 11). It is probable that the efferent fibres are excited by input from sense organs in the wing's hinges.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burrows, M.: Monosynaptic connections between wing stretch receptors and flight motoneurones of the locust. J. exp. Biol.62, 189–219 (1975)
Chappell, R.L., Dowling, J.E.: Neural organization of the median ocellus of the dragonfly. I. Intracellular electrical acticity. J. gen. Physiol.60, 121–147 (1972)
Dowling, J.E., Chappell, R.L.: Neural organization of the median ocellus of the dragonfly. II, Synaptic structure. J. gen. Physiol.60, 148–165 (1972)
Gettrup, E.: Thoracic proprioceptors in the flight system of locusts. Nature (Lond.)193, 498–499 (1962)
Gettrup, E.: Phasic stimulation of a thoracic stretch receptor in locusts. J. exp. Biol.40, 323–333 (1963)
Goodman, C.: Anatomy of locust ocellar interneurons: Constancy and variability. J. comp. Physiol.95, 185–201 (1974)
Goodman, L.J.: The structure and function of the insect dorsal ocellus. Advanc. Insect Physiol.7, 97–196 (1970)
Goodman, L.J.: The neural organization and physiology of the insect dorsal ocellus. In: The compound eye and vision of insects (ed. G.A. Horridge). Oxford: University Press 1975
Patterson, J.A., Goodman, L.J.: Intracellular responses of receptor cells and second-order cells in the ocelli of the desert locust,Schistocerca gregaria. J. comp. Physiol.95, 237–250 (1974)
Pringle, J.W.S.: Locomotion: flight. In: The physiology of insects, Vol. 2 (ed. M. Rockstein). New York-London: Academic Press (1965)
Rosser, B.L.: A study of the afferent pathways of the dragonfly lateral ocellus from extracellularly recorded spike discharges. J. exp. Biol.60, 135–160 (1974)
Ruck, P., Edwards, G.A.: The structure of the insect dorsal ocellus I. General organization of the ocellus in dragonflies. J. Morph.115, 1–25 (1964)
Toh, Y., Kuwabara, M.: Fine structure of the dorsal ocellus of the worker honeybee. J. Morph.143, 285–306 (1974)
Toh, Y., Kuwabara, M.: Synaptic organization of the fleshfly ocellus. J. Neurocytology4, 271–287 (1975)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
The author expresses his thanks to Prof. H. Tateda, Department of Biology, Kyushu University, and Dr. M. Kuwabara, Basic Biology Institute of Japan, for their helpful advices throughout this study. Thanks are also due to Prof. J. Toyoda, Department of Physiology, St. Marianna University, School of Medicine, and Prof. T. Tomita, Department of Ophthalmology and visual Science, Yale University, School of Medicine, for reading of the manuscript and critical comments, and Miss. Y. Takada for her valuable assistance in the preparation of this manuscript.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kondo, H. Efferent system of the lateral ocellus in the dragonfly: Its relationships with the ocellar afferent units, the compound eyes, and the wing sensory system. J. Comp. Physiol. 125, 341–349 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00656869
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00656869