Aurélien Posted July 18, 2014 Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 A classic: The carnivorous/ant-plant! The tendril of the pitcher is swollen and hollow, and house ants (Camponotus schmitzii). Other particularities, the liquid of the pitcher is not so acid (about 5 pH) and not viscous and the inner side of the pitcher is not slippery. Ants come into the pitcher, swin in the liquid to catch big preys! Studys prove that the removal of big insects is benefitic for the plant: such preys couldn't be digest, so pitcher's life is increased. More, Nepenthes bicalcarata's specimen which house Camponotus schmitzii wear a biggest number of pitchers, and each pitcher is more big than pitchers from a plant who doesn't have associated ants. Lower pitcher: Upper pitcher: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrick Posted July 20, 2014 Report Share Posted July 20, 2014 An excellent article here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepenthes_bicalcarata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrick Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 More information on this mutualism. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0063556 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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