Can butterflies see colors and ultraviolet light?

Yes. Butterflies have some of the most advanced color vision in the entire animal kingdom, far superior to human vision.

Humans have **trichromatic** vision, meaning we have three types of color-sensing cells (cones) for Red, Green, and Blue.

Most butterflies have **tetrachromatic** (four-color) or **pentachromatic** (five-color) vision. They typically have photoreceptors for Red, Green, and Blue, but also have receptors for other shades like violet, and most importantly, for ultraviolet (UV) light.

This ability to see UV light is a superpower for butterflies. Many flowers that look plain to humans (e.g., a solid yellow flower) have complex patterns on their petals that are only visible in UV light. These patterns, called **"nectar guides,"** act like a "bullseye" or a landing strip, guiding the butterfly directly to the nectar. Butterflies also use UV patterns on their wings to identify and signal to potential mates.