A Geometrical Optics Model of Individual Ommatidia in Compound Eyes and a Hypothesis for Monocular Stereopsis

Abstract

This study proposes a novel geometrical optics-based visual model suggesting that individual ommatidia in insect compound eyes may possess intrinsic three-dimensional imaging capabilities and enable monocular stereoscopic perception. Building upon the authors previous hypothesis that certain vertebrate retinal cell nuclei act as microlenses, the optical model is extended in this work to the arthropod compound eye system. By conceptualizing the cornea, crystalline cones, and layered rhabdomeric nuclei as components of a "multi-angle miniature real-image telescope," we construct a three-tiered imaging system composed of objectives, relay conjugate lenses, and microlenses. The model predicts that an ommatidium can actively perceive spatial depth and object distance by adjusting the focal length of crystalline cones and the distance between focused planes, thus achieving stereoscopic imaging with a single eye. Simulations based on representative species such as Drosophila melanogaster, Viggiani parasitic wasps, and fireflies (Lampyris) support the feasibility of this model in distance perception across scales ranging from microns to meters. The model breaks away from the "one ommatidium--one image point" paradigm and offers a new theoretical architecture for understanding insect stereopsis. It also presents a promising framework for bioinspired 3D imaging systems and optical designs with multi-focal capabilities.