I Think That I Have a Hair in My Eye
Jan 5, 2022 18:49:41 #
This is a focus-stacked image of the compound eye of a little preserved honey bee. I found all of the hairs growing out of the eyes to be quite interesting. It is believed that the hairs serve to help them navigate with the direction of the wind and flight speed, both of which help it find its way back to the hive.
I'm happy that I don't have hairy eyeballs and should I get lost I can use my GPS to find my way back...or to somewhere I can get a cold adult beverage and worry about finding my way home later..!
I'm happy that I don't have hairy eyeballs and should I get lost I can use my GPS to find my way back...or to somewhere I can get a cold adult beverage and worry about finding my way home later..!
Jan 5, 2022 19:11:48 #
Very interesting and surprising - though I can't / don't ever get as close up as you, I'd have thought some sharp shots at my close extreme in excellent light should have at least hinted at hairy eyes. Not! Amazing and instructive yet again!
Jan 5, 2022 19:18:39 #
Quixdraw wrote:
Very interesting and surprising - though I can't / don't ever get as close up as you, I'd have thought some sharp shots at my close extreme in excellent light should have at least hinted at hairy eyes. Not! Amazing and instructive yet again!
Thanks, Quixdraw. I appreciate your viewing and feedback. This is one of my "freezer" preservation which is where I keep the fuzzy and hairy ones. I try to be conservative and respectful in my collecting and I have a deep appreciation of the pollinators, especially the bees for they play such an important part in our food supply. I only keep one of them in my collection compared to the invasive and destructive insects like the stink bugs, Asian and Japanese beetles, and others like them.
Jan 5, 2022 21:16:03 #
Like quixdraw I have some pretty good close ups and never seen those hairs. Do you suppose they are specific to only some species?
Jan 5, 2022 22:20:10 #
Curmudgeon wrote:
Like quixdraw I have some pretty good close ups and never seen those hairs. Do you suppose they are specific to only some species?
Curmudgeon, I am not an entomologist, although I am highly enthusiastic and naturally curious which drives me to learn about things that interest me and my career has been technical in the field of mechanical system design.
Ants (like those that eat potato chips), bees, and wasps all belong to the order Hymenoptera which has roughly 150,000 species, of which about 20,000 are bees. However, all 20,000 of the bee species are divided into just seven families. Six of these are widespread across the lands and the seventh is found only in Australia (where they have a lot of strange one-of-a-kind creatures).
I may "bee" going out on a limb on this one, however, my assumption would "bee" that with seven families that they all share the trait of hairs in their eyes which has evolved for the benefit of the social society of "all for the Queen".
Jan 5, 2022 22:35:25 #
sippyjug104 wrote:
Curmudgeon, I am not an entomologist, although I a... (show quote)
Looks to be a strong limb. I found this on the net:
Does a Honey Bee Have Hairy Eyeballs?
They have five eyes, two large compound eyes, one on either side of their head and three smaller eyes, called ocelli, at the top of their heads.
The compound eyes have thousands of lenses (ommatidia) which most likely give them a pixilated view of the world. Honey bees can see light, motion, and colors.
A short hair grows in the intersections of the compound lenses of the eye. These hairs are believed to detect wind direction and may be used by the bees to stay on course in windy conditions.
Jan 5, 2022 23:23:14 #
Curmudgeon wrote:
Looks to be a strong limb. I found this on the net... (show quote)
Thanks, Curmudgeon. I had learned about the hairs in the eyes being used as an aid in navigation along with their ability to see the world in the ultraviolet light wavelength. I believe that they have evolved with these features due to their need to forage away from the hive and of course to return with the much-valued pollen. These journeys could take them far away from the hive and when you are only the size of a pinky fingernail, it's a lot like us driving for hours away from home. Of course, this is bush-league compared to the migration of the Monarch Butterfly that travels some 2,000-miles to overwinter in Mexico to a place where they have never been and to then return back to from where they came in the states.
Jan 6, 2022 06:43:50 #
Nature gone astray, or is there an advantage in this hairific looking eye? Sippyjug, please take your 50mm and attach many hairs and see if it alters the image in some positive way.
Jan 6, 2022 08:19:56 #
dpullum wrote:
Nature gone astray, or is there an advantage in this hairific looking eye? Sippyjug, please take your 50mm and attach many hairs and see if it alters the image in some positive way.
Thanks, Dpullum. However, I think that I will start with "the hair of the dog that bit me" which affected my eyesight when being a weekend warrior back in the day!
Jan 6, 2022 08:46:36 #
Jan 6, 2022 09:27:42 #
Jan 6, 2022 09:44:33 #
Congratulations on a wonderful, AGAIN, photograph. I hate hornets, wasps and the like but have come to really like honey bees more and more. Great photo as well as great narrative too.
Dennis
Dennis
Jan 6, 2022 12:09:18 #
Jan 6, 2022 16:37:47 #
Jan 6, 2022 18:23:07 #
ecobin wrote:
That's really interesting. None of your other compound eye stacks show hairs.
Thanks, Elliott. Seeing these often unseen details feeds my curiosity and spurs me on to do more.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.