Fig. 2

3D analysis of ommatidia size and shape in male and female D. simulans M3 and D. mauritiana RED3. a Synchrotron radiation microtomography analyses of males and females show a gradient from smaller to larger ommatidia from dorsal to anterior-ventral. D. simulans M3 females and especially males show an overall shift to smaller ommatidia compared to D. mauritiana RED3. b Analysis of ommatidia numbers show similar ommatidia numbers in females of both species and fewer ommatidia in males in line with overall smaller eye size. c 3D reconstruction of the optic lobe (lamina, medulla, lobula, and lobula plate) of a male D. mauritiana RED3. d Volume analysis of optic lobe neuropil sizes show a similar pattern to ommatidia number differences (b) between sexes and strains: males of D. simulans M3 and D. mauritiana RED3 have generally smaller neuropils, most evident in lamina and medulla (n (a–d) = 3). e, f Shape analysis of frontal (yellow) and central (green) ommatidia reveals separate clustering of frontal and central ommatidia for both species. n = 30. Data points are provided in Fig. 2 synchrotron analysis.xlsx and Fig. 2 morphometric analysis.xlsx on figshare [29]