Page 107 - Miracle in the Eye

HARUN YAHYA

Ultraviolet Vision
Butterflies and bees both possess a special sense of sight, allowing them
to reach sources of food with ease.
In some flowers, the pigments form distinct patterns that are invisible
to us, but visible to bees and butterflies, who can see ultraviolet light. Called
nectar guides, these patterns are like the landing strips of an airport, direct-
ing the insects to the nectar within the flower. It is as if their food sources
were lit up and signposted especially for them. To our eyes, the coneflower
appears to be a uniformly yellowish orange, but to a bee or butterfly, it ap-
pears as a corona of yellow with a glowing ultraviolet bull's eye in its center.
This pattern guides the bee to where it can collect the nectar or pollen.
Bees feed on the pollen produced by plants. The plants, on the other
hand, need the bees to spread their pollen among other flowers of the same
species in order to reproduce. Therefore, the flower uses its petals to attract
the bee and sticks pollen onto the bee's legs as it feeds. Both partners possess
the necessary features to enable this collaboration. Imagine a situation
wherein flowers continued to reflect in the ultraviolet range, but bees were

105