Carnivorous plants: Mass march of termites into the deadly trap

Carnivorous pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes are not usually very selective about their prey, catching anything that is careless enough to walk on their slippery peristome, but Nepenthes albomarginata is an exception. We show here that this plant uses a fringe of edible white hairs to lure and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 2002-01, Vol.412 (6867), p.36-37
Main Authors: Merbach, MA, Merbach, D J, Maschwitz, U, Booth, W E, Fiala, B, Zizka, G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Hospitalitermes
Isoptera
Nasutitermitinae
Nepenthes albomarginata
Termitidae
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Summary:Carnivorous pitcher plants of the genus Nepenthes are not usually very selective about their prey, catching anything that is careless enough to walk on their slippery peristome, but Nepenthes albomarginata is an exception. We show here that this plant uses a fringe of edible white hairs to lure and then trap its prey, which consists exclusively of termites in enormous numbers. This singular feature accounts for the specialization of N. albomarginata for one prey taxon, unique so far among carnivorous plants.
ISSN:0028-0836