A new study reveals that bees and other pollinators are not just attracted to colorful petals or the sweet scent of nectar. The hidden bullseyes in the flower pattern play a significant role in attracting bees.
Hibiscus flowers, for instance, possess an invisible pre-pattern during the early stages of petal formation. This blueprint dictates the size of their bullseyes, a feature that directly impacts their attractiveness to pollinators.
Researchers at the University of Cambridge's Sainsbury Laboratory have unearthed some compelling findings. It turns out, bees are quite choosy. Bees have a clear preference for larger bullseyes and buzz faster towards artificial flower discs with larger bullseyes. This preference may enhance the efficiency of both bees and blossoms.
The researchers ventured into the mysterious world of petal designs. Using a small hibiscus plant as a model, they compared closely related plants with identical flower sizes but differently sized bullseyes.
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