Development of the compound eyes of dragonflies (Odonata). IV. Development of the adult compound eyes.

The changes in the directions of view of marked larval ommatidia were observed after the emergence of the adult. Those ommatidia that had been present during the first larval instar had the most posterior directions of view in the adult visual field while the newest ommatidia that had not been functional for vision in the aquatic larva contributed to the anterior and dorsal foveas of the aerial adults. The changes in interommatidial angles at emergence are discussed. Contrary to the general trend for interommatidial angles between retained larval ommatidia to decrease at emergence, the interommatidial angles in the larval fovea of aeshnid visual predators increase at emergence. The modifications in an odonate compound eye at emergence are like an exaggeration of the modifications that occur at the moult from one larval instar to the next, except that the newest ommatidia do not have any compromises in their design for use in the aquatic vision of the larvae. This is in contrast to the ommatidia retained from the earliest larval instars which have to have the most compromises in their design so that they can be adapted for the visual requirements of every larval instar, as well as the adult. This is discussed in relation to the trend among advanced species of odonates to replace the larval ommatidia by an entirely new set of adult ommatidia.