How many eyes does a bee have?

A bee has five eyes: two large compound eyes and three smaller simple eyes called ocelli. The compound eyes sit on the sides of the head, while the ocelli form a small group on the top of the head.

The two compound eyes are made of many tiny visual units called ommatidia. They help bees detect shapes, movement and color, including ultraviolet patterns that are invisible to humans. Those ultraviolet markings can guide bees toward nectar-rich parts of flowers.

The three ocelli do not produce detailed images like the compound eyes. Instead, they are especially useful for sensing light levels and helping with orientation during flight. Together, the different eye types give bees a visual system suited to navigation, foraging and maintaining stability in the air.

The usual mistake is to count only the two prominent eyes visible from the front. “Five eyes” is the standard answer for bees, especially honey bees, although insect species can vary in the exact details of their visual structures.