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Abstract:
The spontaneous fixation and differentiation of elementary patterns by the visual
system of the fly Musca domestica has been investigated by quantitative behavioral
analysis. It is shown that an object induces a flight torque response solely by the
retinal displacement of its image. When the fly fixates (orientates towards) the
object, the torque response disappears and the fly is in a stable equilibrium. For
patterns consisting of two or more objects, each object contributes independently to
the torque response. Orientation of the fly is then determined by those flight
directions for which the induced torque response forms stable equilibria. The possible
implications of this mechanism for pattern discrimination are discussed.
