Broad spectral sensitivities in the honeybee's photoreceptors limit colourconstancy

Colour constancy allows for visual systems to be view stimuli independent o f changes in spectral illumination. Chromatic adaptation is likely to be an important mechanism in colour constancy and can be explained by use of the von Kries coefficient law. Chromatic adaptation is compared for the honeyb ee and three hypothetical visual systems. It is shown that the spectral bre adth and asymmetry of photoreceptors in the honeybee may limit colour const ancy. In particular, it is demonstrated that the absorption of short-wavele ngth radiation by the cis-band of chromophore is responsible for a poorer-c orrection for bee colours rich in ultraviolet reflectance. The results are discussed in relation to theoretical considerations of von Kries colour con stancy and the physiology of eye design in some other species for which col our constancy has been demonstrated.