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Functional binocular vision is not dependent on visual experience in the praying mantis.
U Mathis1, S Eschbach, S Rossel
1Institut für Biologie I, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, Germany.
Visual Neuroscience
|August 1, 1992
Summary
In praying mantises, normal binocular vision develops even when one eye is covered during development. This suggests a fixed developmental pathway for binocular vision in these insects.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Entomology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Vertebrate spatial vision requires binocular visual experience for normal development.
- The praying mantis, an invertebrate predator, utilizes binocular disparities for prey localization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether binocular visual experience is essential for developing normal spatial vision in the praying mantis.
- To determine if the developmental pathway for binocular vision in mantids is fixed or experience-dependent.
Main Methods:
- Mantids were raised with one eye occluded throughout their developmental period.
- Adult mantids were tested for monocular visual fixation and binocular distance estimation capabilities.
Main Results:
- Monocularly reared mantids exhibited normally functional visual fixation.
- Prey-catching behavior in adult mantids was also found to be normally functional despite monocular rearing.
Conclusions:
- Binocular vision in praying mantises is not dependent on binocular visual experience during development.
- The development of binocular vision in mantids follows a fixed developmental mode, unlike in vertebrates.