Bees possess a visual spectrum that differs significantly from human vision. Their color perception is trichromatic, but instead of red, green, and blue, their photoreceptors are sensitive to ultraviolet, blue, and green wavelengths. This means they perceive the world in a color palette shifted towards shorter wavelengths compared to humans, and they cannot differentiate red from black.
Understanding the range of hues detectable by bees is vital for optimizing crop pollination strategies. Flowers have evolved to attract pollinators using visual signals, and knowing what colors are most conspicuous to bees allows for the breeding of more attractive and therefore more effectively pollinated crops. This knowledge has implications for agriculture, conservation, and our broader understanding of plant-pollinator interactions. Furthermore, studying their vision provides insights into the evolution of color vision across species.