Angular sensitivity of the retinula cells of dark-adapted worker bee

Abstract

Electrophysiological determination of the angular sensitivity of 16 worker bee retinula cells gives a value for horizontal acceptance angle of 2.5 ~ 0.4 ~ (S.D.) and for vertical acceptance angle of 2.7~177 0.8 ~ (S.D.). This value is in agreement with previous behavioural studios, but is clearly at variance with a recent analysis of the ommatidial dioptric by ray optics, which gives a value of 5 ~ for the acceptance angle. It is suggested that this results from the failure of ray optics to take diffraction effects into account.