ABSTRACT
An optomotor apparatus provides an experimental way to move "landmarks". This chapter utilizes several types of optomotor apparatus to investigate the optomotor response of dragonfly naiads. It investigates the strike response of naiads in capturing prey. The involuntary movement of the eyes to follow objects, the optomotorreaction, also occurs in insects. However, since they cannot move their eyes, they must move their entire body to follow the moving object. Dragonfly naiads can be found in water and in fast moving streams. While naiads collected from streams will exhibit a very strong optomotor response, these insects are difficult to maintain for more than a few hours without moving water. All dragonfly naiads are predators, and naiads of the larger species will attack small fish or each other, if given the chance.
