Elephant Hawkmoth

Trichromatic color vision at night under starlight (night vision)

Difference between light in day vs. night

• 10,000,000 fewer photons at night

• stochasticity (uncertainty) higher for photons at night

Hawkmoths (and cockroaches) have gigantic eyes to collect as many photons as possible to overcome visual challenges at night

• not as reliable at starlight

Neurons in lobula plate are sensitive enough to help hawkmoths fly at night

• More sensitive (100x) to light than the eyes

• Reliable, though weak neural responses

Spatial and temporal summation increases sensitivity (resolution)

• spatial and temporal resolution becomes more coarse with lower light intensity