stemma noun, plural stemmata - the simple eye of a certain larval insects, also called lateral ocelli, though they are not homologous with ocelli. They are found on the heads of the larvae of most holometabolus insects. Structurally, they resemble individual elements of the compound eye (ommatidia) more than ocelli, and indeed, are found on the area of the head where compound eyes develop in the adult insect. The visual information gathered from the stemmata is used, usually, to detect motion, but (1).

Photos showing stemmata:

See Also

ocellus (ocelli)

compound eye (oculus)

Print References

Gordh, entry for stemma (1)

Internet References

Wikipedia--Simple eyes in arthropods

Works Cited

1.	A Dictionary of Entomology George Gordh, David H. Headrick. 2003. CABI Publishing.

Contributed by Cotinis on 23 May, 2007 - 9:34pm
Last updated 7 May, 2009 - 4:29am

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