Most insects have evolved to see the spectrum of blue, green, and even ultraviolet rays. However, most insects struggle to analyze one hue in particular: red. Even honeybees and other pollinators who visit traditionally vibrant poppies are attracted not by the visible colour, but by the ultraviolet rays reflected from the petals. Now, the International Zoology team has discovered that some insect species can see that relatives are not possible. According to research published in Journal of Experimental BiologyAt least two beetle species that live in an eastern Mediterranean environment can actually see red.
“As far as we know, we are the first to experimentally demonstrate that beetles can actually recognize red.” Johns saidco-author and chairman of zoology at the University of Würzburg, Germany.
both Pygopleurus chrysonotus and Pygopleurus syriacus It is a small, ambiguous beetle belonging to the Glaphyridae family, feeding on pollen mainly from red-flowered plants such as buttercups, anemones and poppies. This led researchers to wonder how they developed their preferences.
The team utilized many methods to determine that the two beetles had not moved to the red flowers due to UV-sensing situations similar to those of honeybees. After using a combination of colour traps, behavioral experiments and electrophysiology, Spaethe and colleagues clearly showed that the retina contained four different photoreceptors. Aside from UV rays, bugs can handle blue, green and deep red. However, field observations show that insects use true colour vision to identify and visit red flowers.
“The general opinion in science is that flower colours adapt to pollinator visual systems in evolution,” Spaethe explained.
However, the team’s latest findings may complicate this theory. In addition to Pygopleurusthe other two genera of the larger beetle family (Oirasia and Graphical) Displays preferences for largely different colours, such as red, white, purple, yellow. This suggests that the ability to see red, as well as many other colors in nature, is relatively more adaptable than previously thought.
