The Palm-borer moth Paysandisia archon (f. Castniidae) has apposition eyes and surface ocelli
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1
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering / Department of Materials and Metallurgy, Slovenia
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2
University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty / Department of Biology, Slovenia
The Palm-borer moth Paysandisia archon (f. Castniidae) is a large, diurnally active, fast flying insect from S. America. Its caterpillars feed and pupate in the trunks of palm trees. It has been introduced to the Mediterrannian in the 1990s and quickly became a pest on decorative palms. A spread of infection to date palms or oil palms might have devastating economic consequences.
Paysandisia most likely relies on vision for finding palms. The large compound eyes (d = 3 mm) bear conspicuous pseudopupil patterns, but do not exhibit an eyeshine and have no clear zone, confirming that the eye is of the apposition type. We performed intracellular measurements of the spectral sensitivities and have so far found four photoreceptor types. The two LW types peaks at 565 and 595 nm, respectively. The MW type peaks at 480 nm and tails towards longer wavelengths. The UV type peaks at 330 nm. The acceptance angle of the LW photoreceptors is 1.5-2.0°. We measured the ERG spectral sensitivity curves with narrow-angle (15°) isoquantal stimulation. These curves had UV and green peaks of variable relative amplitude, depending on the stimulation position. Using a blue LED for selective adaptation (ERG+SA trace), a peak at 380 nm and a trough at 430 nm became more pronounced, hinting at the possible existence of other receptor types. The ERG fusion frequency at 530 nm was 50 Hz at 20°C, 150 Hz at 30°C and 250 Hz at 40°C, indicating that phototransduction is fast and has a high temperature optimum. The ERG spectral sensitivity curve of the large ocelli (d = 0.5 mm) had two peaks at 360 nm and at 570 nm, respectively (OC trace).
Castniidae (giant butterfly moths & sun moths) belong to the superfamily Sesioidea which may be phyllogenetically closer to diurnal butterflies (Rhopalocera) than the Macrolepidoptera moths [1]. The finding that Paysandisia has an apposition eye and surface ocelli may be important for understanding both the evolution of Lepidoptera and of insect eyes.
Acknowledgements
Financed in part by EU FP7 Palm Protect and by JSPS bilateral grant to K. Arikawa and G. Belušič.
References
[1] J C Regier et al. Toward reconstructing the evolution of advanced moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia): an initial molecular study. BMC Evolutionary Biology 2009 9:280
Keywords:
insect vision,
eye evolution,
apposition eye,
ocelli,
Visual Acuity,
angular sensitivity,
Spectral sensitivity,
Flicker Fusion,
erg,
Sharp electrode,
Lepidoptera,
castniidae,
Giant butterfly moth,
Paysandisia archon,
palm-borer moth,
Palmprotect,
date palm,
Oil palm
Conference:
International Conference on Invertebrate Vision, Fjälkinge, Sweden, 1 Aug - 8 Aug, 2013.
Presentation Type:
Poster presentation preferred
Topic:
Development and evolution
Citation:
Pirih
P and
Belušič
G
(2019). The Palm-borer moth Paysandisia archon (f. Castniidae) has apposition eyes and surface ocelli.
Front. Physiol.
Conference Abstract:
International Conference on Invertebrate Vision.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fphys.2013.25.00029
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Received:
27 Feb 2013;
Published Online:
09 Dec 2019.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Primož Pirih, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering / Department of Materials and Metallurgy, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia, primoz.pirih@gmail.com
Dr. Gregor Belušič, University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty / Department of Biology, Ljubljana, 1000, Slovenia, gregor.belusic@bf.uni-lj.si