Abstract
Binocularity in insects is generally assumed to have the same function as in many vertebrates—the perception of depth. Evidence for this hypothesis stems from the observation that one-eyed dragonfly larvae, tiger beetles, praying mantids and water scorpions rarely catch prey1–5 but no definitive evidence is available. Depth perception and catching behaviour depend on visual attention and visual behaviour and it is difficult to assess what is impaired when one eye is occluded6. A more promising approach to studying the importance of binocular disparity is one that does not interfere with normal binocular vision, and allows potential monocular depth cues to be controlled carefully. These criteria were met in the present study by the use of prismatic lenses placed in front of the compound eyes of the praying mantis, thus creating a conflict between binocular disparity and monocular cues. The results demonstrate that mantids do indeed rely on binocular triangulation when estimating the distance of prey, and thus provide the first unequivocal evidence for stereoscopic vision in an invertebrate.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baldus, K. Z. vergl. Physiol. 3, 475–505 (1926).
Friederichs, H. F. Z. Morph. ökol. Tiere 21, 1–172 (1931).
Maldonado, H. & Levin, L. Z. vergl. Physiol. 56, 258–267 (1967).
Maldonado, H. & Barros-Pita, J. C. Z. vergl. Physiol. 67, 58–78 (1970).
Cloarec, A. Biol. Behav. 4, 173–191 (1978).
Via, S. E. J. comp. Physiol. 121, 33–51 (1977).
Rossel, S. J. comp. Physiol. 131, 95–112 (1979).
Rossel, S. J. comp. Physiol. 139, 307–331 (1980).
Corrette, B. J. thesis, Univ. Oregon (1980).
Burkhardt, D., Darnhofer-Demar, B. & Fischer, K. J. comp. Physiol. 87, 165–188 (1973).
Wallace, G. K. J. exp. Biol. 36, 512–525 (1959).
Horridge, G. A. Endeavour 1 (1), 7–17 (1977).
Collett, T. S. J. exp. Biol. 76, 237–241 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rossel, S. Binocular stereopsis in an insect. Nature 302, 821–822 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/302821a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/302821a0
This article is cited by
-
Optic flow based spatial vision in insects
Journal of Comparative Physiology A (2023)
-
Ontogenetic changes in behavioral and kinematic components of prey capture strikes in a praying mantis
Evolutionary Ecology (2022)
-
Binocular responsiveness of projection neurons of the praying mantis optic lobe in the frontal visual field
Journal of Comparative Physiology A (2020)
-
An interhemispheric neural circuit allowing binocular integration in the optic tectum
Nature Communications (2019)
-
A neuronal correlate of insect stereopsis
Nature Communications (2019)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.