Dandelion and Daisy - Taraxacum officinale and Bellis perennis flower in reflected UV ultraviolet photography and simulated bee vision

Today shots of two early spring flowers, Bellis perennis - Common Daisy. and Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale in reflected ultraviolet photography. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was sunlight. All shots were done at about f8 in reflected ultraviolet photography using my "work horse" UV filter, the Baader-U filter, as well as my XBV6 filter for simulated bee vision. Lens was a CERCO 94mm quartz fluorite lens. Light source was sunlight.

[click on image to see a larger one]

Triptych of human vision, UV and simulated bee vision (left to right):
 

This Dandelion flower has quite a prominent UV pattern, its petals are UV bright around 365nm, its center is UV dark, especially the anthers. Common Daisy, however has a bulls-eye UV pattern, its center is UV dark, and the petals are UV reflective around 380nm and both gets quite nicely visible side-a-side, also in simulated bee vision. Wouldn't it be interesting to find out, which flower is actually preferred by its pollinators, based on the very different reflection patterns in UV and BV?

I have written about the Dandelion flower previously HERE and about the Daisy flower HERE

Stay tuned, more will follow on that fascinating subject...

More info on this very interesting field may be found on my site http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos