Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual Constancy

Perceptual constancy is the ability to recognize that objects remain consistent and unchanged even when their appearance varies due to changes in sensory input. There are four main types of perceptual constancy: size constancy, shape constancy, color constancy, and brightness constancy.
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...

Color Vision

Color Vision

Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category,...

Osmoregulation in Insects

Osmoregulation in Insects

Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area.

Anatomy of the Eyeball

Anatomy of the Eyeball

The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle...

Position-effect Variegation

Position-effect Variegation

In 1928, a German botanist Emil Heitz observed the moss nuclei with a DNA binding dye. He observed that while some chromatin regions decondense and spread out in the interphase nucleus, others do not. He termed them euchromatin and heterochromatin, respectively. He proposed that the heterochromatin regions reflect a functionally inactive state of the genome. It was later confirmed that heterochromatin is transcriptionally repressed, and euchromatin is transcriptionally active chromatin.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same journal

The microlandscapes of tree trunks: the effect of lichen and tree-level characteristics on arthropod communities.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Centimetre-scale landscapes to assess the motion behaviour and cognition of gastropods and bivalves.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Intertidal microcosms of wave-swept rocky shores: ecological and physiological insights from a uniquely stressful environment.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Temporal and spatial variation in temperature and oxygen at the microscale: key niche axes for aquatic life.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Natural microcosms in ecology: fulfilling the promise of model systems?

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026

Same journal

Microbe-induced galls and plant defence: metabolite crosstalk in a co-evolutionary battle.

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 29, 2025

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings

Published on: February 26, 2016

Understanding insect colour constancy.

Annette Werner¹

¹Evolutionary Cognition - Cognitive Science, Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences

|September 4, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Insects like bees, butterflies, and moths exhibit color constancy, enabling them to perceive object colors despite changing light. This review explores how these insects, with small brains, achieve this complex visual feat.

Keywords:

bees butterflies colour constancy humans insects moths

More Related Videos

Key Elements of Photo Attraction Bioassay for Insect Studies or Monitoring Programs

Key Elements of Photo Attraction Bioassay for Insect Studies or Monitoring Programs

Published on: July 26, 2018

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 29, 2025

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings

Determination of Photoreceptor Cell Spectral Sensitivity in an Insect Model from In Vivo Intracellular Recordings

Published on: February 26, 2016

Key Elements of Photo Attraction Bioassay for Insect Studies or Monitoring Programs

Key Elements of Photo Attraction Bioassay for Insect Studies or Monitoring Programs

Published on: July 26, 2018

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Visualizing Visual Adaptation

Published on: April 24, 2017

Area of Science:

Animal Behavior
Neuroscience
Visual Perception

Background:

Color constancy is crucial for object recognition across varying illumination conditions.
While extensively studied in primates, insect color constancy remains less understood despite its ecological significance.
Insects possess complex color vision systems despite their comparatively smaller brains.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and compare behavioral studies on color constancy in insects (bees, butterflies, moths) and humans.
To explore computational models and potential neurophysiological underpinnings of insect color constancy.
To understand how insects solve the challenge of color constancy with limited neural resources.

Main Methods:

Interspecies comparative review of existing behavioral research.
Analysis of computational models simulating color constancy mechanisms.
Examination of neurophysiological data related to visual processing in insects.

Main Results:

Insects demonstrate remarkable color constancy, comparable to primates in many ecological contexts.
Behavioral evidence suggests diverse strategies employed by different insect species.
Computational models offer insights into potential neural algorithms for achieving color constancy.

Conclusions:

Insect color constancy is a vital adaptation for navigating and interacting with their environment.
The study of insect color constancy provides valuable comparative insights into visual perception.
Further research into insect neurophysiology can illuminate universal principles of color vision.