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.415 (6867), p.36-37
Main Authors: Merbach, Marlis A, Merbach, Dennis J, Maschwitz, Ulrich, Booth, Webber E, Fiala, Brigitte, Zizka, Georg
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Isoptera
Nepenthes
Nepenthes albomarginata
Prey
Sharks
Taxa
Temperature
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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
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/415036a