Bees are not able to fly at night, but the reason why is a bit more complicated than you might think.
Bees are not able to fly at night, and the reason why is a bit more complicated than you might think. Most people would assume that bees are simply unable to see in the dark, but it’s actually much more complex than that. Bees have compound eyes made up of thousands of individual lenses called ommatidia. Each ommatidium is covered by a thin membrane called a cornea, which allows light into the eye while also protecting it from dust and other particles. These corneas have evolved over time to allow bees to see better in bright sunlight while also being able to filter out harmful UV rays.
In order for this system to work properly, however, bees need their eyes exposed so they can take in light through their corneas. The fact that bees have translucent wings means that they can easily expose their eyes without exposing themselves to danger or overheating.
