The use of light in prey capture by the tropical pitcher plant<i>Nepenthes aristolochioides</i>

Moran, Jonathan A.; Clarke, Charles; Gowen, Brent

doi:10.4161/psb.20912

Cited by 23 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Our work should not be interpreted as evidence that fenestrations do not ever function in aggressive mimicry. Indeed, fenestration in Nepenthes aristolochioides influences capture rates through increased attraction of prey into the pitcher [7]. While the study reported in [7] did not differentiate the frequencies with which Drosophila flies flew into pitcher with shaded versus unshaded fenestration from variation in the likelihood that they failed to emerge from the pitcher, it clearly showed that fenestration can be involved in short-range attraction of prey.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Fittingly, fenestrations are more commonly located close to the aperture but on its opposite side and not on the basal part of the pitcher ( figure 1). As yet, the physiological and ecological functions of fenestrations are underexplored (but see [7]). Adaptive communicative function appears plausible; however, aperturemimicry is not the only possible mechanism by which fenestrations might influence prey capture.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, as fenestrations could also have an attractive effect of luring prey into the trap (e.g. by increasing light levels within the trap [7]), we tested for that effect as well. Additionally, fenestrations may exploit sensory biases of the prey towards contrasting plants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fenestration: a window of opportunity for carnivorous plants

Schaefer

Ruxton

2014

Biol. Lett.

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A long-standing but controversial hypothesis assumes that carnivorous plants employ aggressive mimicry to increase their prey capture success. A possible mechanism is that pitcher plants use aggressive mimicry to deceive prey about the location of the pitcher's exit. Specifically, species from unrelated families sport fenestration, i.e. transparent windows on the upper surfaces of pitchers which might function to mimic the exit of the pitcher. This hypothesis has not been evaluated against alternative hypotheses predicting that fenestration functions to attract insects from afar. By manipulating fenestration, we show that it does not increase the number of Drosophila flies or of two ant species entering pitchers in Sarracenia minor nor their retention time or a pitcher's capture success. However, fenestration increased the number of Drosophila flies alighting on the pitcher compared with pitchers of the same plant without fenestration. We thus suggest that fenestration in S. minor is not an example of aggressive mimicry but rather functions in long-range attraction of prey. We highlight the need to evaluate aggressive mimicry relative to alternative concepts of plant-animal communication.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fenestration: a window of opportunity for carnivorous plants

Schaefer

Ruxton

2014

Biol. Lett.

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“…Moran et al 37 found that in the pitcher plant species Nepenthes aristolochioides, the light coming through the translucent pitcher windows causes a visual illusion of false exits, helping to keep the prey inside the trap. However, Schaefer and Ruxton 38 found that the windows in the species Sarracenia minor do not serve as false exits but rather function in long-range visual attraction of prey.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plant-animal communication via transparent tissues was considered in 2 plant types: (1) For pitcher carnivorous plants, 37,38 although via 2 different mechanisms, demonstrating that illumination through transparent plant tissues can be used in more than one way. Moran et al 37 found that in the pitcher plant species Nepenthes aristolochioides, the light coming through the translucent pitcher windows causes a visual illusion of false exits, helping to keep the prey inside the trap.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Partly transparent young legume pods: Do they mimic caterpillars for defense and simultaneously enable better photosynthesis?

Lev‐Yadun

2015

Plant Signaling & Behavior

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Different pitcher shapes and trapping syndromes explain resource partitioning inNepenthesspecies

Gaume

Bazile

Huguin

et al. 2016

Ecology and Evolution

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Nepenthes pitcher plants display interspecific diversity in pitcher form and diets. This species‐rich genus might be a conspicuous candidate for an adaptive radiation. However, the pitcher traits of different species have never been quantified in a comparative study, nor have their possible adaptations to the resources they exploit been tested. In this study, we compare the pitcher features and prey composition of the seven Nepenthes taxa that grow in the heath forest of Brunei (Borneo) and investigate whether these species display different trapping syndromes that target different prey. The Nepenthes species are shown to display species‐specific combinations of pitcher shapes, volumes, rewards, attraction and capture traits, and different degrees of ontogenetic pitcher dimorphism. The prey spectra also differ among plant species and between ontogenetic morphotypes in their combinations of ants, flying insects, termites, and noninsect guilds. According to a discriminant analysis, the Nepenthes species collected at the same site differ significantly in prey abundance and composition at the level of order, showing niche segregation but with varying degrees of niche overlap according to pairwise species comparisons. Weakly carnivorous species are first characterized by an absence of attractive traits. Generalist carnivorous species have a sweet odor, a wide pitcher aperture, and an acidic pitcher fluid. Guild specializations are explained by different combinations of morpho‐functional traits. Ant captures increase with extrafloral nectar, fluid acidity, and slippery waxy walls. Termite captures increase with narrowness of pitchers, presence of a rim of edible trichomes, and symbiotic association with ants. The abundance of flying insects is primarily correlated with pitcher conicity, pitcher aperture diameter, and odor presence. Such species‐specific syndromes favoring resource partitioning may result from local character displacement by competition and/or previous adaptations to geographically distinct environments.

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The use of light in prey capture by the tropical pitcher plantNepenthes aristolochioides

Cited by 23 publications

References 13 publications

Fenestration: a window of opportunity for carnivorous plants

Fenestration: a window of opportunity for carnivorous plants

Partly transparent young legume pods: Do they mimic caterpillars for defense and simultaneously enable better photosynthesis?

Different pitcher shapes and trapping syndromes explain resource partitioning inNepenthesspecies

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