Mass march of termites into the deadly trap

Marlis A. Merbach (), Dennis J. Merbach, Ulrich Maschwitz, Webber E. Booth, Brigitte Fiala and Georg Zizka
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Marlis A. Merbach: Fachbereich Biologie, Zoologisches Institut, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
Dennis J. Merbach: Fachbereich Biologie, Zoologisches Institut, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
Ulrich Maschwitz: Fachbereich Biologie, Zoologisches Institut, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
Webber E. Booth: Universiti Brunei Darussalam
Brigitte Fiala: Universität Würzburg, Zoologie III, Biozentrum
Georg Zizka: Botanik/Paläobotanik, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität und Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg

Nature, 2002, vol. 415, issue 6867, 36-37

Abstract: Abstract 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.

Date: 2002
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DOI: 10.1038/415036a

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