How Are Bugs Lured into the Tropical Pitcher Plant?
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Appearance
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There are many types of pitcher plants, and they all have somewhat different methods of luring bugs into their pitchers. Generally, though, the methods are similar. All pitcher plants have special, deep-cupped leaves that form what are called their pitchers. These pitchers are colored with pigments called anthocyanins. The anthocyanins dye the pitchers a reddish-purple color, which attracts bugs, making them think the pitcher is a flower filled with nectar.
Nectar
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Some pitcher plants also use nectar to lure bugs to it. These pitchers have a sort of flap, or flange, lined with a trial of nectar. The bugs can smell the nectar, and they follow the flange to the top of the pitcher then down into the pitcher. Once inside, the bugs are trapped, and the plant digests them.
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Odors
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Some pitcher plants attract bugs by emitting an odor of decay. This smell comes from bugs the plant has already trapped and started to break down. As the plant breaks the bugs down, other bugs can smell them decaying.
Flowers
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The pitcher plant's flowers also help attract bugs. The plant's flowers are a deep, red color, which makes the flowers look like raw meat. Curious bugs are attracted to the site of the flowers because of this resemblance. Once they are near the plant, the pitcher's odor and appearance lure the bugs inside it.
Trap
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The interior walls of pitcher plants' pitchers are coated with a slippery substance. Sometimes, it's a slippery waxlike substance that flakes off as bugs struggle to climb up and out of the pitcher. Some pitchers' inside walls grow downward-facing hairs or are grooved in a way that makes climbing up difficult for the bugs. The pitchers contain a liquid called phytotelma, which the bugs fall into. This liquid will wet the bugs' wings, which helps prevent the bug from flying away. As the bugs struggle while trying to escape, their movements stimulate the plant, and some pitcher plants releases digestive acids. After the bugs have died, both the plants' digestive acids and bacteria inside the pitcher start to dissolve the bugs. This bacteria is washed into the pitcher during rain. Some pitcher plants also contain insect larvae that eat trapped bugs. The pitcher plant will eat the larvae's waste.
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