Wide-field motion-sensitive neurons tuned to horizontal movement in the honeybee, Apis mellifera

Abstract

This paper describes the morphology and response characteristics of two types of paired descending neurons (DNs) (classified as DNVII1 and DNIV1) and two lobula neurons (HR1 and HP1) in the honeybee, Apis mellifera. 1. The terminal arborizations of the lobula neurons are in juxtaposition with the dendritic branches of the DNs (Figs. 2, 3b, 5). Both of the DNs descend into the ipsilateral side of the thoracic ganglia via the dorsal intermediate tract (Fig. 6) and send out many blebbed terminal branches into the surrounding motor neuropil (Figs. 3c, 7). 2. Both the lobula and descending neurons respond in a directionally selective manner to the motion of widefield, periodic square-wave gratings. 3. The neurons have broad directional tuning curves (Figs. 10, 11). HR1 is maximally sensitive to regressive (back-to-front) motion and HP1 is maximally sensitive to progressive (front-to-back) motion over the ipsilateral eye (Fig. 11). DNVII1 is maximally sensitive when there is simultaneous regressive motion over the ipsilateral eye and progressive motion over the contralateral eye (Fig. 12a). Conversely, DNIV1 is optimally stimulated when there is simultaneous progressive motion over the ipsilateral eye and regressive motion over the contralateral eye (Fig. 12b). 4. The response of DNIV1 is shown to depend on the contrast frequency (CF) rather than the angular velocity of the periodic gratings used as stimuli. The peak responses of both regressive and progressive sensitive DNs are shown to occur at CFs of 8–10 Hz (Figs. 13, 14).