Jerusalem Artichoke in human-, butterfly- and bee vision. © photo's Dr. Klaus Schmitt.
Ultraviolet
Insecta Spectra
Simulated Butterfly and Bee vision
The way insects see the colorful world of flowers differs from our perception.
The human vision is based on the colors red, green, and blue.
Insects however, can also see in the ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum.
Plants make use of this phenomena by advertising secret messages to those who can see in UV.
These can be messages of how to spot the nectar, where the pollen is, or landing strips on how to approach the flower. And so, during millions of years, a mutual beneficial relationship evolved: honey for being pollinated.
As UV rays travel hardly through glass, and as lenses are made of glass, taking pictures in the UV spectrum is quite remarkable. Dr. Klaus Schmitt - site http://uvir.eu - from Weinheim, Germany, made these stunning UV pictures, simulating the perception of colors by insects with a special 105mm Nikkor UV lens.
I made this short film in collaboration with Dr. Klaus Schmitt for the 'Photosynthesis' botanic art exhibition of the Tropism Art and Science Collective.
Insecta Spectra
Simulated Butterfly and Bee vision
The way insects see the colorful world of flowers differs from our perception.
The human vision is based on the colors red, green, and blue.
Insects however, can also see in the ultraviolet (UV) part of the spectrum.
Plants make use of this phenomena by advertising secret messages to those who can see in UV.
These can be messages of how to spot the nectar, where the pollen is, or landing strips on how to approach the flower. And so, during millions of years, a mutual beneficial relationship evolved: honey for being pollinated.
As UV rays travel hardly through glass, and as lenses are made of glass, taking pictures in the UV spectrum is quite remarkable. Dr. Klaus Schmitt - site http://uvir.eu - from Weinheim, Germany, made these stunning UV pictures, simulating the perception of colors by insects with a special 105mm Nikkor UV lens.
I made this short film in collaboration with Dr. Klaus Schmitt for the 'Photosynthesis' botanic art exhibition of the Tropism Art and Science Collective.