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Bee-pollinated flowers rarely appear red. Why?
ABees cannot see the colour red
BBees avoid red because it signals poison
CRed pigment blocks the nectar guides
DRed flowers open only at night time
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Bees cannot see the colour red
1. Bees are perhaps the most important pollinator of many garden plants and most commercial fruit trees.
2. Bees cannot see the colour red.
3. So bee-pollinated flowers usually carry shades of blue, yellow or other colours instead.
4. Such flowers are also open during the day, strongly scented and often tubular, with a nectar guide.
5. A nectar guide is a pattern on the petals visible only to bees, not to humans, that steers them to the centre of the flower.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 32 "Plant Reproduction", section 32.2 Pollination and Fertilization_
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