Aims Rhodiola dumulosa is a perennial herb growing in a naturally fragmented habitat of high-mountain rocks. This research aims to (i) investigate the mating system characteristics and pollination biology of R. dumulosa, (ii) study the effects of ecological factors on the mating system and pollination biology of R. dumulosa and (iii) assess the relationship between its pollination and mating sy...

BACKGROUND Despite having tiny brains and relatively low-resolution compound eyes, many fly species frequently engage in precisely controlled aerobatic pursuits of conspecifics. Recent investigations into high-order processing in the fly visual system have revealed a class of neurons, coined small-target-motion detectors (STMDs), capable of responding robustly to target motion against the motio...

OBJECTIVE Odorous compounds produced at the biosolids composting plant in Bariloche (NW Patagonia) attract a variety of insects, mainly belonging to the order Diptera. In order to characterize these flies, collected specimens were taxonomically identified, their community characteristics were described and their sanitary and synanthropic importance and autochthonous or introduced character were...

Detection of targets that move within visual clutter is a common task for animals searching for prey or conspecifics, a task made even more difficult when a moving pursuer needs to analyze targets against the motion of background texture (clutter). Despite the limited optical acuity of the compound eye of insects, this challenging task seems to have been solved by their tiny visual system. Here...

Recent accounts attribute motion adaptation to a shortening of the delay filter in elementary motion detectors (EMDs). Using computer modelling and recordings from HS neurons in the drone-fly Eristalis tenax, we present evidence that challenges this theory. (i) Previous evidence for a change in the delay filter comes from 'image step' (or 'velocity impulse') experiments. We note a large discrep...