Vegetation and Floral Colors Revealed by Ultraviolet Light: Interpretational Difficulties for Functional Significance

The importance of measuring floral colors as insects might see them is often ignored. Ultraviolet, only one of the wavebands visible to insects, is often recorded in vacuo, without reference to the insect visual spectrum, without quantification, and without reference to background coloration and ambient lighting. Such oversights may lead to serious errors in interpreting the functional significance of floral colors and color patterns.