Flower patterns are adapted for detection by bees.
We have demonstrated previously that honeybees use brightness vision mediated by green (or L-) receptor to detect targets from a long distance. They detect circular targets having a dim, for the L-receptor, centre and bright surround from a longer distance than targets having bright centre and dim surround. Here we show that a majority of bee-pollinated flowers have a centre that, for the L-receptor, is dim with bright surround, i.e. have patterns that are easy for a bee to detect. Flowers with dim for the L-receptor surrounds tend to be larger than those with bright surrounds, indicating that flowers compensate for the impaired visibility of their patterns by increasing the size of their displays.
Hempel de Ibarra
Natalie
N
Neurobiologie, Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Königin-Luise-Str. 28/30, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
Vorobyev
Misha
M
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001516:Bees / Q000502:physiology*; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D035264:Flowers; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D010802:Phylogeny