This is how bees and butterflies see flowers. So magical!

Flowers are not only beautiful to look at, but they also play a vital role in the reproduction of plants. To spread their pollen and create seeds, many flowers rely on the help of animal pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. But how do these insects see flowers? And what makes them so attracted to them?

Bees and flowers

Bees are the most prolific pollinators in nature. They spend the majority of their time searching for pollen and nectar as they are the main sources of food for themselves and their young. Bees have a special vision that allows them to see ultraviolet (UV) light, which is invisible to humans. Many flowers have patterns or markings on their petals that reflect UV light, creating a contrast that guides the bees to the nectar and pollen. These patterns are sometimes called “nectar guides” or “bee guides”. See Fig. 1 for an example.

Bees also use color to distinguish different types of flowers. Bees can see colors in the blue-green, blue, violet, and near-ultraviolet range, but they cannot see red. Therefore, flowers that are blue, purple, or yellow tend to attract more bees than flowers that are red, orange, or pink.

But how do bees detect UV light? Bees have photoreceptors in their eyes that are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. Some of these photoreceptors can simultaneously receive information from the wavelength and the electric field of the incoming light, which allows them to perceive UV light as a separate color from the visible spectrum. Bees also have a special type of ommatidia (the units that make up the compound eye) called dorsal rim ommatidia, which are specialized for detecting polarized light, which is light that vibrates in a specific direction. Polarized light is produced by scattering from the atmosphere and can help bees navigate by indicating the position of the sun.

Butterflies and flowers

Butterflies are also important pollinators, especially for flowers that bloom during the day. Similar to bees, butterflies can see light in the UV spectrum and lots of the flowers that attract butterflies have areas that reflect UV light to guide the butterfly to the nectar. Butterflies also have a preference for certain colors, such as red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. These colors stand out more against the green background of leaves and grass.

Unlike bees, butterflies do not collect pollen on their bodies. Instead, they use their long proboscis (a tube-like mouthpart) to sip nectar from the flowers. Therefore, butterflies prefer flowers that have a flat shape or a long tube that can accommodate their proboscis. Some examples of butterfly-friendly flowers are zinnias, marigolds, coneflowers, and butterfly bushes.

Butterflies also have photoreceptors that can detect UV light, but they have more types of photoreceptors than bees do. In fact, some butterflies have up to 15 kinds of photoreceptors in their eyes, each tuned to a different wavelength of light. This gives them a very rich and diverse color vision, which helps them find suitable flowers and mates. Butterflies also use UV patterns on their wings to communicate with each other. Some species have UV-reflecting spots or stripes on their wings that signal their sex or species identity to potential partners.

Conclusion

Bees and butterflies see flowers differently than humans do. They can detect UV light that reveals hidden patterns on the petals, and they have a preference for certain colors that contrast with the environment. By coevolving with these pollinators, flowers have adapted their shape, color, and scent to attract them and ensure their reproduction. No wonder bees and butterflies love flowers so much!

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