Ultraviolet Video-Viewing: The Television Camera as an Insect Eve

Abstract

A television camtiera, like the eyes of some insects, is sensitive to ultraviolet light. When equipped with an appropriate ultraviolet-transmitting lens, such a camera can be used for the direct examtiination of ultraviolet reflectiont patterns (for example, on flowers, butterflies) that are invisible to us, but visible to inisects.

Is UV Ornamentation an Amplifier in Swordtails?

“…1). Our results confirm previous studies indicating the importance of ultraviolet ornamentation as a preferred trait in sexual communication (e.g., insects, 25,26 birds, 27 guppies, 28,29 and swordtails 24 ). What is unique to our study is that we show that UV ornamentation is a preferred trait among males belonging to two different genotypic-morphs (intermediate and large class males).…”

Bee Flowers: A Hypothesis on Flower Variety and Blooming Times

“…As many as seven species of bee pollinated Clarkia may grow on the same hillside at the Sierra foothills of California, and although these plants appear to be very similar vegetatively, the species are sharply defined by differences in flower color, petal markings, and petal size and lobing patterns (Lewis, 1953;MacSwain et al, 1973). The UV absorption patterns of "yellow" composite flowers blooming concurrently in Florida indicate that the flowers that to us appear to be similar, are different to the bees (Eisner et al, 1969). Kevan (1972) writes that "To insects, the high arctic flowers of the different species have more distinctive colors and color patterns, and there are more different colors and color patterns, than there are to humans.…”

Attractive and defensive functions of the ultraviolet pigments of a flower ( Hypericum calycinum )

“…Not surprisingly, the patterns are displayed predominately on the exposed ''facial'' surface of the flower, where the pollinator makes its landing. The UV patterns sometimes differ in plants growing intermingled in potential competition (1,5,9) and may be part of the décor that makes each flower recognizably distinct and, as a consequence, potentially memorable to the pollinator ( Fig. 1 C and D).…”