Journal
SCIENCE
Volume 323, Issue 5910, Pages 130-133Publisher
AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1126/science.1166256
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Natural Environment Research Council [NE/C000552/1]
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EP/D040884/1]
- European RTN-6 Network Patterns
- Cambridge University Research Exchange
- German Academic Exchange Service DAAD
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council [EP/D040884/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- Natural Environment Research Council [NE/C000552/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- EPSRC [EP/D040884/1] Funding Source: UKRI
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Iridescence, the change in hue of a surface with varying observation angles, is used by insects, birds, fish, and reptiles for species recognition and mate selection. We identified iridescence in flowers of Hibiscus trionum and Tulipa species and demonstrated that iridescence is generated through diffraction gratings that might be widespread among flowering plants. Although iridescence might be expected to increase attractiveness, it might also compromise target identification because the object's appearance will vary depending on the viewer's perspective. We found that bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) learn to disentangle flower iridescence from color and correctly identify iridescent flowers despite their continuously changing appearance. This ability is retained in the absence of cues from polarized light or ultraviolet reflectance associated with diffraction gratings.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available