No, ants are not entirely color blind, but their color vision is limited and differs depending on light intensity.
Ant color vision is not as complex as human vision. They can perceive certain colors but not the full spectrum that humans see. Their sensitivity to different colors also changes depending on the brightness of the surrounding light.
Here's a breakdown based on light intensity:
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High Light Intensity: Ants are slightly sensitive to red, sensitive to green, and highly sensitive to yellow and blue.
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Low Light Intensity: Ants are no longer sensitive to red but remain sensitive to yellow and blue and become highly sensitive to green and violet.
In essence, ants possess a dichromatic vision in most lighting conditions, which means they see the world primarily through shades of green/violet and blue/yellow, with the intensity of these colors changing in varied lighting. They often use their sensitivity to ultraviolet light for navigation.