ocellus

(ō-sĕl'əs)
n., pl., o·cel·li (ō-sĕl'ī').

1. A small simple eye, found in many invertebrates, usually consisting of a few sensory cells and a single lens.
2. A marking that resembles an eye, as on the tail feathers of a male peacock; an eyespot.

[Latin, diminutive of oculus, eye.]

ocellar o·cel'lar (ō-sĕl'ər) adj.

(o-SEL-uhs)

noun, plural ocelli
1. A small simple eye common to invertebrates.
2. An eyelike colored spot on an animal (as on peacock feathers, butterfly wings, fish, etc.) or on a leaf of a plant.

Etymology
Latin ocellus, little eye, diminutive of oculus, eye.

Usage
"The sarcastic fringehead is an extremely territorial fish found along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco Bay to Baja California ... The ocelli on their dorsal fins are metallic blue, surrounded by a golden ring." — The Kids' Reading Room, The Los Angeles Times, Jul 18, 2000.

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Simple eyes of insects.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: an eyelike marking (as on the wings of some butterflies); usually a spot of color inside a ring of another color
  Synonym: eyespot

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