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The principal eyes of sunburst diving beetle, Thermonectus marmoratus, larvae are among the most unusual eyes in the animal kingdom. They are composed of long tubes connecting bifocal lenses with two retinas: a distal retina situated a few hundred micrometers behind the lens, and a proximal retina that is situated directly beneath. A recent molecular study on first instar larvae suggests that the distal retina expresses a long-wavelength-sensitive opsin (TmLW), whereas the proximal retina predominantly expresses an ultraviolet-sensitive opsin (TmUV II). Using cloning and in situ hybridization we here confirm that this opsin distribution is, for the most part, maintained in third instar larvae (with the exception of the TmUV I that is weakly expressed only in proximal retinas of first instar larvae). We furthermore use intracellular electrophysiological recordings and neurobiotin injections to determine the spectral sensitivity of individual photoreceptor cells. We find that photoreceptors of the proximal retina have a sensitivity curve that peaks at 374-375 nm. The shape of the curve is consistent with the predicted absorbance of a single-opsin template. The spectral response of photoreceptors from the distal retina confirms their maximum sensitivity to green light with the dominant λ-peak between 520 and 540 nm, and the secondary β-peak between 340 and 360 nm. These physiological measurements support molecular predictions and represent important steps towards understanding the functional organization of the unusual stemmata of T. marmoratus larvae.

Spectral sensitivity of the principal eyes of sunburst diving beetle, Thermonectus marmoratus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), larvae