Science Photo of the Day #389
This Praying Mantis has three simple eyes in the center of its face, and two large, compound eyes. What are the two black dots on the compound eyes?
Marvelous! The black dots are pseudo-pupils. This is an illusion that is often seen in animals with compound eyes. The dark spot appears to be pointed directly towards the observer (or camera). An easy way to check this is to have several people look at the eyes. Each will see the "pupils" looking at them, all at the same time.
The small black dot you see
The small black dot you see is, I believe, only a diffraction of light and dark that you see inside the eye which "appears" to be following you as you move. This illusion is because the dot is a spot that's always toward you as you move. It is not following you, it just "appears" to be doing so because of light diffraction within the many cells of the compound eyes.
Tsia
Errr... his pupil ?!
Errr... his pupil ?!
we think that they are the
we think that they are the pupils, so they can see better
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