RESPONSE PROPERTIES AND ADAPTATION OF NEURONS SENSITIVE TO IMAGE MOTION IN THE BUTTERFLY PAPILIO-AEGEUS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Wide-field direction-selective neurones from the optic lobes of the butterfly Papilio aegeus show some properties similar to those displayed by the large neurones of the fly lobula plate. Temporal and spatial frequency threshold tuning curves show that butterfly optic lobe neurones sensitive to different directions of image motion are fed by presynaptic subunits similar to those of the fly. However, unlike fly lobula plate neurones, the butterfly optic lobe neurones show a steep low-spatial-frequency roll-off which persists even at high temporal frequencies. Also exceptional is the temporal resolution of rapid changes in image speed by the butterfly neurones. When the..