The visual neuroecology of anisoptera

• Published in: Current opinion in insect science Vol. 42; pp. 14 - 22
• Main Authors: Lancer, Benjamin Horatio, Evans, Bernard John Essex, Wiederman, Steven D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.12.2020
• ISSN: 2214-5745; 2214-5753; 2214-5745
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2020.07.002

•Dragonflies are highly successful aerial predators that rely almost exclusively on vision to drive behaviour.•Regional specialisations of the dragonfly eye are adapted for different behavioural task demands.•The neuronal target tracking system is finely tuned for hunting swarming prey in cluttered environments.•Once a target has been observed, the dragonfly intercepts prey using a variety of predictive pursuit strategies. Dragonflies belong to the oldest known lineage of flying animals, found across the globe around streams, ponds and forests. They are insect predators, specialising in ambush attack as aquatic larvae and rapid pursuit as adults. Dragonfly adults hunt amidst swarms in conditions that confuse many predatory species, and exhibit capture rates above 90%. Underlying the performance of such a remarkable predator is a finely tuned visual system capable of tracking targets amidst distractors and background clutter. The dragonfly performs a complex repertoire of flight behaviours, from near-motionless hovering to acute turns at high speeds. Here, we review the optical, neuronal, and behavioural adaptations that underlie the dragonflies’ ability to achieve such remarkable predatory success.