Summary
Narrow band or monochromatic neurons were recorded in the medulla and lobula of the bee optic lobe. The spectral sensitivities of UV, blue and green units were similar to, but narrower than those of the corresponding receptors.
Colour opponent cells were recorded in the proximal medulla and were predominantly UV excited and inhibited by blue and green. Green and blue excited neurons which were inhibited by UV were rarely found. All opponent cells showed a maximum sensitivity change in the violet region. The receptive fields of these neurons were homogeneous, each point being excited by the one wavelength and being inhibited by the other.
Polychromatic neurons, i.e. those that showed clearly colour dependent responses in several wavelength regions but which showed a dominant response in only one wavelength range were recorded mainly in the lobula. Only UV or green dominated polychromatic cells were found. Their receptive fields show complex colour dependent substructures which are not concentrically arranged.
Two neurons showed definite inputs from more than one colour channel but remain narrow band. These neurons respond best in the region of overlap of two receptors, i.e. bluish-green and violet.
Colour opponency appears to play a major role in colour integration as in vertebrates, although no evidence supporting the combination of colour with spatial opponency was found.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arnett, D.W.: Spatial and temporal integration properties of units in first optic ganglion of Dipterans. J. Neurophysiol.35, 429–445 (1972)
Bishop, L.G.: A search of colour encoding in the responses of a class of fly interneurons. Z. vergl. Physiol.64, 355–371 (1969)
Bishop, L.G.: The spectral sensitivity of motion detector units recorded in the optic lobe of the honey bee. Z. vergl. Physiol.70, 374–381 (1970)
Bishop, L.G.: A note on the preservation of chromatic information in the lamina of the worker honeybee. J. comp. Physiol.77, 233–238 (1972)
Daumer, K.: Blumenfarben wie sie die Bienen sehen. Z. vergl. Physiol.41, 49–110 (1958)
De Valois, R.L.: Central mechanisms of colour vision. In: Handbook of sensory physiology, Vol. VII/3A, Central processing of visual information (ed. R. Jung), pp. 209–254. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1972
Fuortes, M.G.F., Schwartz, E.A., Simon, E.J.: Colour dependence of cone responses in the turtle retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.)234, 199–217 (1973)
Gouras, P.: S-potentials. In: Handbook of sensory physiology, Vol. VII/2, Physiology of photoreceptor organs (ed. M.G.F. Fuortes), pp. 513–53. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1972
Helversen, O. v.: Zur spektralen Unterschiedsempfindlichkeit der Honigbiene. J. comp. Physiol.80, 439–472 (1973)
Kaiser, W.: A preliminary report on the analysis of the optomotor system of the honey bee-single unit recordings during stimulation with spectral lights. In: Information processing in the visual systems of arthropods (ed. R. Wehner), pp. 166–170. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1972
Kaiser, W.: The spectral sensitivity of the honeybee's optomotor walking response. J. comp. Physiol.90, 405–408 (1974)
Kaiser, W., Liske, E.: Die optomotorischen Reaktionen von fixiert fliegenden Bienen bei Reizung mit Spektrallichtern. J. comp. Physiol.89, 391–408 (1974)
Kaneko, A.: Physiological and morphological indentification of horizontal, bipolar and amacrine cells in goldfish retina. J. Physiol. (Lond.)207, 623–633 (1970)
Kien, J.: The optomotor system of the locust. Ph.D. Thesis, Australian National University 1973
Kien, J., Menzel, R.: Chromatic properties of interneurons in the optic lobes of the bee. I. Broad band neurons. J. comp. Physiol.113, 17–34 (1977)
Levick, W.R.: Receptive fields of retinal ganglion cells. In: Handbook of sensory physiology, Vol. VII/2, Physiology of photoreceptor organs (ed. M.G.F. Fuortes), pp. 531–566. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1972
McCann, G.D., Arnett, D.W.: Spectral and polarisation sensitivity of the dipteran visual system. J. gen. Physiol.59, 534–558 (1972)
Menzel, R.: Untersuchungen zum Erlernen von Spektralfarben durch die Honigbiene (Apis mellifica). Z. vergl. Physiol.56, 22–62 (1967)
Menzel, R.: Spectral response of moving detection and “sustaining” fibres in the optic lobe of the bee. J. comp. Physiol.82, 135–150 (1973)
Menzel, R.: Spectral sensitivity of monopolar cells in the bee lamina. J. comp. Physiol.93, 337–346 (1974)
Menzel, R., Blakers, M.: Functional organisation of an insect ommatidium with fused rhabdom. Cytobiol.11, 279–298 (1976)
Menzel, R., Freudel, M., Rühl, U.: Rassenspezifische Unterschiede im Lernverhalten der Honigbiene (Apis mellifica). Apidologie4, 1–24 (1973)
Menzel, R., Knauth, R.: Pigment movement during light and chromatic adaptation in the retinula cells orFormica polyctena (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). J. comp. Physiol.86, 125–138 (1973)
Morrison, J.D.: The effects of adaptation on the centre and surround responses of frog retinal ganglion cells. Vision Res.15, 1345–1349 (1975)
Swihart, St.L.: The neural basis of colour vision in the butterflyPapilio troilus. J. Insect Physiol.16, 1623–1636 (1970)
Swihart, S.L.: Modelling the butterfly visual pathway. J. Insect Physiol.18, 1915–1918 (1972)
Trevino, D.L.: The response of one class of neurons in the optic tract of crayfish (Procambarus) to monochromatic light. Z. vergl. Physiol.69, 139–149 (1970)
Wagner, H.G., MacNichol, E.F.J., Wolbarsht, M.L.: The response properties of single ganglion cells in the goldfish retina. J. gen. Physiol.43, (suppl. 6, part 2), 45–62 (1960)
Woodcock, A.E.R., Goldsmith, T.: Spectral response of sustaining fibres in the optic tracts of crayfish (Procambarus). Z. vergl. Physiol.69, 117–133 (1970)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by DFG grant no. Me 365/4
Alexander v. Humboldt Stipendiat.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kien, J., Menzel, R. Chromatic properties of interneurons in the optic lobes of the bee. J. Comp. Physiol. 113, 35–53 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00610452
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00610452