Summary
The hypothesis that the glow observable in dark adapted butterfly eyes is extinguished upon light adaptation by the action of migrating retinula cell pigment granules (Stavenga, 1975a) has been investigated. Experimental procedures applying optical methods to intact, living animals were similar to those used previously to investigate the migration of retinula cell pigment granules in Hymenoptera (Stavenga and Kuiper, 1977). The data obtained from nymphalid butterflies and Hymenoptera show close parallels, favouring the pigment migration hypothesis.
The retinula cell pigment granules control the light flux in the butterfly rhabdom and hence are part of a pupil mechanism. The range of action of this pupil mechanism is about 3 log units of light intensity. The speed of pupil closure is slowed down with longer dark adaptation times. The way in which pupil processes can be distinguished from photochemical processes of the visual pigment is discussed.
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Stavenga, D.G., Numan, J.A.J., Tinbergen, J. et al. Insect pupil mechanisms. J. Comp. Physiol. 113, 73–93 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00610454
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00610454