Plants That Eats Bugs

Earth the only planet to sustain life has many different and unique creatures, some that we are aware of and some still untouched by humans' gaze. From a tiny little microorganism to a full-grown tree, everything has a unique feature, a unique species, and is distinguished on the same. Some creatures depend solely on veggies, some on flesh and some on both. Plants are mainly herbivores and animals a mix of both flesh and plants making them a carnivore or an omnivore. Although it is only animals that are thought to have flesh, there are some plants too that feed on bugs and insects for their food and hence called Carnivores. There are different kinds of carnivore plants and every one of them is etched with a different feature. They have a different way to lure their prey. Some do it through their inexorable fragrances, some through their beautiful appearances, but no matter what they do no prey could be spared from their traps.

One such plant that feeds on insects is the Venus flytrap scientifically called Dionaea muscipula, it is a plant from the sundew family and is notable for catching and engulfing insects. It has two curved lobes and is opened like a clam, each lobe is said to secrete nectar that attracts the insects, the plant is divided into two lobes, the outer one and the inner one, the outer one is layered with cilia hairs that act as a prison for prey and the inner lobe that is covered with three sensory hair, and when are brushed by anything the prey or even a raindrop it produces a mechanical stimulus that gets converted to electrical signals thus making plant to shut close.

The pitcher plant also called monkey cup is another such plant that belongs to this category, although the older species of this plant used to belong to Nepenthaceae, the new species of these plants belongs to the family of Sarraceniacaea. The scientific name for the pitcher plant is Nepenthes spectabilis. They got their name Pitcher plant from the shape that they exist in. It has a modified leaf that acts as a pitfall for its prey. Moreover, it has a deep cavity that is filled with liquids that helps in digesting activities of the plant.

Unlike pitcher plants and Venus flytrap, butterwort is a somewhat less known species of carnivore plants. It has a shiny buttery green surface hence the name Butterworts. Moreover, it doesn't perform any movement to trap its prey, it’s just sitting there attracting all the insects and bugs from its shiny leaves. They grow on alkaline soil and are covered with the insect attractive resin. They are most likely to have gnats that provide nitrogen.

When we look around us we realize life on earth is so unique and pleasing. The deeper we go the more we explore the existence on this planet. Moreover, every discovered undiscovered feature of the planet adds life to it making it beautiful and surreal.

By: Arushi Bansal

Content- https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/environment/plant-eats-bugs