Ultraviolet Patterns in Flowers, or Flowers as Viewed by Insects
Year: 1982
Type: article
Abstract: Insects see the world very differently than humans do.Their eyes are sensitive to energy from sunlight in frequencies somewhat different than ours are (Silberglied, 1979).We can see light in the energy spectrum from red through orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet, but we cannot normally detect short-wavelength ultraviolet light because our eyes have shielding pigments.Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic energy between 40 and 400 nanometers in wavelength.This so-called "black light" is commonly used to cause visible fluorescent patterns in "psychedelic" posters and other objects containing special pigments.The visual perception of insects generally overlaps with our own, except that insects cannot see red light and can see ultraviolet light.The ability of insects to communicate in ultraviolet light has been investigated by the late Robert Silberglied, of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.This discussion draws on his research.How do we know that insects can see ultraviolet light?In a simple experiment peformed in the late 19th century.Sir John Lubbock exposed an ant colony to different parts of the visual spectrum (a "rainbow") that had been separated by passing light through a prism.Ants
Source: Arnoldia.
DOI: 10.5962/p.250255
Author: Richard B. Primack
Language: English
Topic: Plant and animal studies
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2465883131