A six-rhabdomere, open rhabdom arrangement in the eye of the chrysanthemum beetle Phytoecia rufiventris: some ecophysiological predictions based on eye anatomy.

Abstract

We are describing a rhabdom organization of the eye of the chrysanthemum beetle Phytoecia rufiventris that to date has not been described from any other insect. In cerambycid beetles free rhabdomeres, forming a circular, open rhabdom, surround a central rhabdom made up of the rhabdomeres of one or two cells. In Phytoecia rufiventris the central rhabdomeres are missing throughout the eye and the microvilli of the outer 6 rhabdomeres are regularly oriented in three directions. Following the classification of rhabdom types suggested by Wachmann (1979), we suggest to name the rhabdom arrangement seen in the retina of Phytoecia rufiventris "Grundmuster 3". This pattern ought to facilitate polarization sensitivity and movement perception, features that agree with the behavioural repertoire of Phytoecia rufiventris.