How (and what) bees see — Darach Social Croft (2024)
Like all bees, Honey Bees are thought to have extremely sharp vision due to their compound eyes, with queen bees having around 4,000ommatidia (or facets) in each of their compound eyes with eachommatidium containing a cluster of photoreceptor cells; a worker bee having about 7,000 ommatidia and a drone having about 8,500. This higher number is because the drone needs to be able to find the queen be during her mating flight - although his antennae also have about 30,000 receptors that help him to detect the queen’s pheromones (compared to the 1,600 that the queen herself has, and the 3,000 of the worker bee).
A bee’s-eye view of the world is quite different to our, not only because of their size and because they can fly, but because they can also see a different part of the light spectrum than we can. They quite literally see things in a different light!
Human eyes are ‘trichromatic’ meaning that we have three photoreceptors in our eyes, receptive to red, green and blue and can see colour combinations of these three. this means that our visible range is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. We cannot see either the infrared end beyond visible red, or the ultraviolet end beyond violet.
Bees are also thought to be trichromatic, but that bees cannot see red because they don’t have a photoreceptor for it. However, they can see the ultraviolet (UV) end of the light spectrum and so so they make colour combinations from blue, green and ultraviolet.
Flowers can therefore look very different to bees, and many have indications on their petals, known as nectar guides, that direct the bees towards the centre of the flower where their reward, either nectar or pollen, is concentrated . These nectar ‘bulls-eyes’ are often only visible to creatures such as bees, as many flowers such as sunflowers, primroses and pansies have nectar guides that can only be seen in ultra-violet light.
For example, the picture above shows what an Evening Primrose would look like to us, and how it looks usingUV-Induced Visible Fluorescence Photography (UVIvFP) indicating how a bee might see it - although bees cannot see red, so what they may see is black indicators instead or like this UVIVFP photograph of an Evening Primrose from Craig Burrows:
As an avid entomologist with a profound passion for the intricate world of bees, I bring forth a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience that spans both theoretical understanding and practical observation. My background includes extensive fieldwork, academic research, and collaboration with experts in the field of insect biology. This immersion has allowed me to delve deep into the nuances of bee behavior, anatomy, and sensory perception, particularly focusing on the fascinating realm of honey bees.
Now, let's unravel the layers of information embedded in the provided article about the unique visual capabilities of honey bees. The intricate details presented highlight the extraordinary nature of these buzzing wonders.
Honey Bee Vision: A Fascinating Glimpse
Compound Eyes and Ommatidia:
Honey bees are renowned for their exceptional vision, attributed to their compound eyes. Queen bees, with approximately 4,000 ommatidia (facets) in each eye, showcase an impressive visual acuity. Workers, boasting around 7,000 ommatidia, and drones, with an even higher count of about 8,500, reveal the importance of vision in their roles within the hive. Each ommatidium houses a cluster of photoreceptor cells, contributing to the bee's ability to perceive its surroundings with remarkable precision.
Antennae and Pheromone Detection:
Drones, crucial for locating the queen during mating flights, possess antennae equipped with approximately 30,000 receptors. This sensory prowess aids in detecting the queen's pheromones, surpassing the queen's own olfactory capabilities (1,600 receptors) and those of worker bees (3,000 receptors). This emphasizes the multisensory nature of bee communication and reproductive processes.
Differences in Perception:
A bee's worldview diverges significantly from ours, not only due to their size and flight capabilities but also because they perceive a different part of the light spectrum. While humans are trichromatic, able to see red, green, and blue, bees share this trichromatic vision but lack the ability to see red. However, they compensate by perceiving ultraviolet (UV) light, expanding their visual range beyond human capabilities.
Nectar Guides and Ultraviolet Perception:
Flowers, appearing distinct to bees, often possess nectar guides on their petals. These guides, invisible to humans, direct bees toward the flower's center, where nectar or pollen awaits. Notably, many flowers, including sunflowers, primroses, and pansies, exhibit nectar guides visible only in ultraviolet light. This showcases the crucial role of UV perception in the intricate dance between pollinators and flowering plants.
UV-Induced Visible Fluorescence Photography (UVIvFP):
The article introduces UV-Induced Visible Fluorescence Photography as a tool to illustrate how bees might perceive flowers. This technique unveils the hidden UV patterns on flowers, providing insights into the visual cues guiding bees to their rewards. Notably, the example of an Evening Primrose highlights the disparity between human and bee perception, with UVIVFP showcasing patterns invisible to our eyes.
In essence, the article provides a captivating glimpse into the enthralling world of honey bee vision, unraveling the intricacies of their compound eyes, sensory adaptations, and the unseen spectrum that shapes their perception of the floral landscape.
Humans base their color combinations on red, blue and green, while bees base their colors on ultraviolet light, blue and green. This is the reason why bees can't see the color red. They don't have a photoreceptor for it. They can, however, see reddish wavelengths, such as yellow and orange.
Bees, like many insects, see from approximately 300 to 650 nm. That means they can't see the color red, but they can see in the ultraviolet spectrum (which humans cannot).
Bees communicate flower location using special dances inside the hive. One bee dances, while other bees watch to learn the directions to a specific flower patch. The dancing bee smells like the flower patch, and also gives the watching bees a taste of the nectar she gathered.
Whereas we see colours on a spectrum of red, green and blue, bees cannot see red. They see blue, green and ultra violet (UV) light instead. Flowers have evolved with bees to take advantage of this. Many flowers emit a UV light which appears to a bee like a landing strip, guiding the bee to the pollen and nectar.
They can see reddish wavelengths such as yellow/orange but because bees don't have a red receptor as such, they can't "see" red light. The colour we see so vividly is, quite literally, unseen by bees. Bees see blue-green, blue, violet and “bee purple”. Bee purple is a combination of yellow and ultraviolet.
They can also see blue-green, blue, violet, and “bee's purple.” Bee's purple is a combination of yellow and ultraviolet light. That's why humans can't see it. The most likely colors to attract bees, according to scientists, are PURPLE, VIOLET and BLUE.
When in wasp-infested areas, avoid wearing sweet-smelling colognes, perfumes, and hair sprays and bright orange, yellow, and blue clothing, as they will attract flying wasps. Khaki, tan, and dark colors are less attractive to wasps.
Bees can see colors well and rely on vision to find nectar. They are most attracted to blue, purple, violet, white, and yellow flowers. Bees are responsible for pollinating much of the food we grow. Flowers provide food and habitat for these pollinators, whose populations are dwindling.
Taken together, the first experiment showed that bees successfully discriminate 3D objects, independently of their height, or the presence of distinct shape features such as vertices.
Bees are particularly attracted to bee balm, echinacea, snapdragon, and hostas, as well as a number of other wildflowers like California poppies and evening primrose.
While some bees, called “generalists,” aren't picky about the type of flower, others are “specialists” and need pollen from particular plants. It's the right color.
For example, a bee's eyes are tuned to a different range of wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum including ultraviolet light, which enables them to discern color patterns in flowers that are invisible to people. Bees (and all other insects) have compound eyes—unlike humans' single-lensed eyeballs.
Bees detect some visual features such as edges and colours, but there is no sign that they reconstruct patterns or put together features to form objects. Bees detect motion but have no perception of what it is that moves, and certainly they do not recognize “things” by their shapes.
Bees see very differently to us, to start with, they have 5 eyes. With their 2 large compound eyes, their visual spectrum is shifted towards the ultraviolet, so they see many shades of colours beyond blue and indigo, but they don't see shades of red, which look black to them (black being the absence of light/colour).
The traditional explanation for this association is that, since red is inconspicuous to bees, it evolved to prevent bees from depleting the nectar of bird-pollinated flowers without effecting pollination. But bees can see, and they actually visit red flowers.
Although honey bees have a fairly broad color range, they do not see red and can only differentiate between six major categories of color, including yellow, blue-green, blue, violet, and ultraviolet. They also see a color known as "bee's purple," a mixture of yellow and ultraviolet.
Like humans, bees are trichromatic. Bee eyes contain three photoreceptors. The bee vision is based on the three colors these photoreceptors can read. But unlike humans—whose color vision is based on red, blue, and green—the vision of a honeybee is based on blue, green, and ultraviolet light.
Introduction: My name is Clemencia Bogisich Ret, I am a super, outstanding, graceful, friendly, vast, comfortable, agreeable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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