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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Congratulations to Anupama @manel-a-pama.bsky.social, who won the Poster Prize at the annual biology Poster Session! She will also bring her poster to #ICN26 in Vancouver, so stay tuned 🦋🌸 @neuroethology.org

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

L1/L2 synapse distributions predict both spatial summation and lateral inhibition, which are both performed by these neurons, the former in dim, the latter in bright light. We suggest that summation and inhibition segregate into separate layers in a single L1/L2 cell.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

L1 / L2 spatial response profiles also do not show two distinct clusters, and neither does their spatial anatomy, which is highly variable, but does not delineate with cell type.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Unlike in fruit flies, where L1 and L2 differ in their luminance and contrast responses, we find that hawkmoth L1 / L2 provide mirror-symmetrical information to downstream motion vision. They respond only to contrast, not luminance, and have faster hyperpolarising than depolarising dynamics.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

We provide novel classification of hawkmoth lamina monopolar cells, and surprisingly found 5 cell types: there are 2 of the previously described type II LMCs in each cartridge – identified as homologous to fly L1 / L2. We propose homology of all cell types based on morphology and connectivity.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Visiting the Merz Akademie in Stuttgart for our science-art collaboration with the Akademie and @zukunftskolleg.bsky.social Konstanz. Excited to see the final student projects inspired by vision in insects after this field trip!

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Season's Greetings from the Lab in our most - Christmas party award winning !! - festive attire. 🎄👼🐮👑🐑⭐ With animalistic support from @jjfosterlab.bsky.social Happy holidays and a great start into the New Year to you all! extra Christmassy stars to anyone who guesses what we are 😉

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

We had a rather unexpected presenter at our lab meeting this morning 😄🪲🎓

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

This hierarchy does not reflect the strength of optic flow or contrast cues in our experimental setups or in the natural visual environment of hawkmoths.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Long story short: both pathways act in parallel, and shape flight with equal contributions when not in conflict. If in conflict, the dorsal response has a stronger impact on the moths' flight position, tortuosity and speed than the ventrolateral optic flow response.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Hawkmoths respond primarily to translational optic flow in their ventrolateral visual field, while they respond with a novel response to directional elements of dorsal contrast features. See also: www.cell.com/current-biol... We set out to test how these two pathways interact.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 15/06/2025

Float like a hawkmoth and drink like one too! What better way to understand insect behaviour? 🍹🦋🍹 An exciting evening of science outreach by the lake, by @cbehav.bsky.social ‪‪‪@excinequality.bsky.social‬ With moth impersonators: @emmarusconi.bsky.social @manel-a-pama.bsky.social ky.social‬

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

We are excited to have Aruna visit our lab over the summer as part of her PhD! She is investigating how hawkmoths actively shape their flight trajectories to better sense the spatial layout of their environment while working towards a 3D tracking system to accurately capture their movement!

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Welcome to the LAB: Emma Rusconi @emmarusconi.bsky.social We are excited that Emma has recently joined us as a research assistant! She is currently investigating how bumblebees generalize visual patterns, and will soon investigate how nocturnal moths navigate in different light conditions.

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

Welcome to the LAB: Farhan Rafique Shah @arha2.bsky.social Farhan joined the team this year to pursue his #PhD . He will study natural and polluted light environments, and how these are perceived by nocturnal moths. To learn more, check out his page: (www.insect-vision.com/farhan-shah)

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

We had a fantastic #retreat in the Black Forest together with @jjfosterlab.bsky.social and Nouvian labs. We escaped rooms, worked on laboratory code of conduct, went hiking, learned about first aid, data visualisation and pose estimation, brainstormed science and went wild playing games!

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Visual Insect Neuroethology Group @insect-vision.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

🎄🎁🎄We're celebrating another buzzing year at the insect vision lab. Season's greetings and a happy new year from our hive to yours 🎉🦋🐝🎉 #Moths #Happyholidays

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