Abstract
Simple SummaryArge similis is a notorious pest on rhododendron plants. The fine structure of the compound eyes of A. similis adults were examined by light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. Each ommatidium consists of a lamellated cornea, a crystalline cone with eucone type, and a centrally fused rhabdom composed of eight retinular cells.External morphology and ultrastructure of the visual system of Arge similis (Vollenhoven, 1860) adults were investigated by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Each compound eye contains 2022 ± 89 (mean ± SE) facets in males and 2223 ± 52 facets in females. Arge similis has an apposition kind of compound eye composed of a cornea, a crystalline cone of four cone cells, and a centrally fused rhabdom made up of the rhabdomeres of eight large retinular cells. Each crystalline cone is surrounded by primary and secondary pigment cells with black spherical screening pigment granules measuring 0.60 ± 0.02 and 0.41 ± 0.01 μm in diameter, respectively. Based on our findings, the compound eye of A. similis can be expected to exhibit high adaptability to light intensity changes.
Highlights
As the main visual organ of insects, the compound eye has a very long history that may stretch back to the neo-proterozoic [1,2]
The compound eyes of the nocturnal halictid bee Megalopta genalis consist of about 4880 facets in males, with facet diameter ranging from
The sizes of compound eyes were positively correlated with body size in Lepidoptera, bees, ants, and beetles, and species with nocturnal or diurnal lifestyles [7,11,25,27,28]
Summary
As the main visual organ of insects, the compound eye has a very long history that may stretch back to the neo-proterozoic [1,2]. The dioptric apparatus (cornea and cones) is separated from the retinular cells by a pigment-free space in the ommatidium known as the “clearzone” [9] In this type of eye, a single ommatidial rhabdom of the retina can receive light from hundreds of corneal lenses, and insects that possess superposition eyes are sensitive to low-intensity light. Arge similis (Vollenhoven, 1860), known as rhododendron sawfly, is a notorious pest of rhododendron plants with its larvae feeding on the leaves of Rhododendron species such as Rhododendron pulchrum, R. indicum, and R. mucronatum [20] This pest poses a serious threat to the development and ornamental values of rhododendron plants [20]. We explore the external morphology and microanatomical structure of the eyes of A. similis by light microscopy (LM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
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