Fine structure of the anterior median eyes of the funnel-web spider Agelena labyrinthica (Araneae: Agelenidae) |
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| Institution: | 1. College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, People''s Republic of China;2. Department of Geology, University of Kansas, 1475 Jayhawk Boulevard, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA;3. Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK;4. PO Box 4680, Chongqing 400015, People''s Republic of China;1. Department of Bioengineering, University of Utah, James LeVoy Sorenson Molecular Biotechnology Building (SMBB), 36S. Wasatch Drive, Rm. 3100, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah, Merrill Engineering Building, 50S. Central Campus Dr., Room 2110, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;1. Laboratory of Insect Evolution and Systematics, Forestry College, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan 471023, China;2. Xi''an Vocational and Technical College, Xi''an, Shaanxi 710000, China |
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| Abstract: | Only few electron microscopic studies exist on the structure of the main eyes (anterior median eyes, AME) of web spiders. The present paper provides details on the anatomy of the AME in the funnel-web spider Agelena labyrinthica. The retina consists of two separate regions with differently arranged photoreceptor cells. Its central part has sensory cells with rhabdomeres on 2, 3, or 4 sides, whereas those of the ventral retina have only two rhabdomeres on opposite sides. In addition, the rhabdomeres of the ventral retina are arranged in a specific way: Whereas in the most ventral part they form long tangential rows, those towards the center are detached and are arranged radially. All sensory cells are wrapped by unpigmented pigment cell processes. In agelenid spiders the axons of the sensory cells exit from the middle of the cell body; their fine structure and course through the eye cup is described in detail. In the central part of the retina efferent nerve fibres were found forming synapses along the distal region of the receptor cells. A muscle is attached laterally to each eye cup that allows mainly rotational movements of the eyes. The optical performance (image resolution) of these main eyes with relatively few visual cells is discussed. |
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| Keywords: | Agelena Anterior median eyes Split retina Polarization pattern Efferent nerve Eye muscles |
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