The search for nectar costs insects a lot of energy, so they have to be as efficient as possible. Colorful patterns on the petals can help with that. Be it mallow, foxglove or forget-me-not: many ...

Flowers have lots of different patterns on their surfaces that help to guide bees and other pollinators towards the flower’s nectar, speeding up pollination. These patterns include visual signals like ...

Be it mallow, foxglove or forget-me-not: many flowers bear colourful patterns, which are known as nectar guides in biology. They are assumed to show the pollinating insects the shortest way to the ...

Researchers have decoded the complete genome of Chionanthus retusus, a widely cultivated ornamental tree known for its striking flower shapes. Using state-of-the-art sequencing, scientists identified ...

Study also suggests they can spot similarities between patterns of scent and those made with colour Pollinators don’t just wing it when it comes to finding a sweet treat: the shape, colour, perfume ...

Bees use their ability to 'see' polarized light when foraging for food, researchers have discovered. This is the first time bees have been found to use this ability for something other than navigation ...

Bees rely on simple decision rules, using color as the first clue when choosing flowers and adding more cues only when needed.