The Colorful Life of Insect Vision

By National Geographic Staff

The Colorful Life of Insect Vision

Presentation by Hargrave Eye Center

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

History of the Eye

National Geographic magazine recently explored the hidden history of the eye, which some have called one of nature's most exquisite creations.

❖ It turns out that a wide range of eyes have arisen across the animal kingdom.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Insects Living Among Us

❖ Among the more striking are the eyes of the millions of insects that share this planet with us.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photo Gallery

❖ This photo gallery—which began life in the Arabic edition of National Geographic—takes an intimate look at some of this rich biodiversity.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Beetles

Darwin famously said that God must have had an inordinate fondness for beetles, since there are more species of beetle than any other life form. With such rich biodiversity, there is a wide range of eyes.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Mayflies

Famously short-lived, adult mayflies may live only a few hours, just long enough to reproduce.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Darklings

Named for their nocturnal habits, darkling beetles like to feed on decaying material. They are found across the world in warm, dry places.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Weevils

Weevils are a predominantly tropical group of beetles that are usually small and herbivorous.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Cuckoo Wasps

These small insects curl into a ball when threatened.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Red Palm Weevils

This colorful beetle is a major pest for date palms.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Robberflies

These insects stab their victims in the head and inject toxins that liquify their insides. When their prey expires, they suck up the juices.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Parasitoid Wasps

Many species of wasp reproduce by laying their eggs inside a host insect. In many cases, the young kill the host by eating it from the inside, in a lifecycle that inspired the Alien movies.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Hoverflies

Named for their behavior of hovering around flowers, hoverflies often resemble wasps or bees with their yellow markings, but they don’t sting.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Wolf Spiders

Not an insect but still a fellow arthopod, wolf spiders are named for their method of chasing and pouncing on prey.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Flies

Physiphora samaragdina flies are small and have wings that are spotted or banded with black, brown, or yellow. They are commonly found in moist places or on flowers.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/

Photograph by Yousef Al Habshi

Wasp Moths

These moths deter predators by mimicking wasps.

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160126-insect-eye-photos/