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Insect adhesion: ant-eating plants

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Uploaded by on Nov 29, 2010

Under the rim of a carnivorous pitcher plant such as this, nectar lures ants to visit for a tasty treat.

When the rim is dry: the ants can climb on and around the plant with no problem.

When the rim is wet: unluckily for the ants, the rim has a special microstructured hydrophilic surface; air humidity or rain can easily form a very thin water layer. Most ants aquaplane to their doom, where they are destined to stew in the plant's digestive juices.

Video courtesy of Dr Holger Bohn at the University of Freiburg, Germany.

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  • finally i know what the wings are for.. the insects are using them as ladders!

    which species was used in the experiment? the lid was cut :(

  • @cathygentle one ant goes in... other ants wil follow... thats the way of ants' nature :)

  • From Physics World article:

    Watch some unlucky ants meet their fate, while others manage to avoid the deadly trap, in this video.

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