First published online April 8, 2004
Journal of Experimental Biology 207, 1683-1688 (2004)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2004
doi: 10.1242/jeb.00941
Bumblebee search time without ultraviolet light
Adrian G. Dyer1,3,* and
Lars Chittka1,2
1 Zoologie II, Biozentrum, Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074
Würzburg, Germany
2 School of Biological Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End
Road, London E1 4NS, UK
3 School of Orthoptics, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University,
Bundoora Victoria 3086, Australia

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Fig. 1. Colour stimuli and illumination sources. (A) Spectral irradiance of the UV+
(thin line) and UV(bold line) illumination sources. (B) Spectral
reflectance of a tomato plant flower (broken line), an artificial model flower
(bold line) and the green foraging background (thin line). (C) Colour loci of
stimuli in a colour hexagon assuming adaptation of the visual system to the
green background colour in the UV+ and UVillumination conditions. E,
excitation; B, blue; G, green; UV, ultraviolet.
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Fig. 2. Search time for bumblebees to find the first flower in the flight arena
during a 20-bout evaluation of foraging efficiency. Illumination conditions
were changed just prior to the 11th foraging bout. Five different bees are
used in each of the three test conditions; values are means ±
S.E.M. (A) Mean data for five bees searching for 26 mm star shaped
model flowers initially in UV+ and then UVconditions. (B) Mean data for
five bees searching for 15 mm model flowers initially in UV+ and then
UVconditions. (C) Mean data for five bees searching for 15 mm model
flowers initially in UVand then UV+ conditions.
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2004