Bigger eyes give bigger bumblebees better vision.

What is it about?

Bumblebees come in different sizes an open question is how eye size affects vision. Bigger bumblebees are known to have bigger eyes, and bigger eyes are usually better. But which aspects of vision is improved in larger eyes? We used a technique called microCT to measure the 3D structure of bumblebee eyes. The measurements were then applied to build 3D models of the bumblebee eyes and calculate their visual capabilities using computational geometry. We found that larger bees had improved ability to see small objects in front or slightly above them. They had a bigger area of overlap between the sight in both eyes when they looked forward and up. They were also more sensitive to light across the eye. The experiments show that improvements in eyesight with larger size are very specific.

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Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

Photo by Zac Durant on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Besides providing a better understanding of the vision of bumblebees, an important pollinator, these findings might also help engineers trying to design miniature cameras to help small, flying autonomous vehicles navigate. Bees fly through complex environments and face challenges similar to those small flying vehicles would face. Emulating the design of bee eyes and how they change with size might lead to the development of better cameras for these vehicles.

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