What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Bug Bites on Nep

Nepenthesis

Formerly known as Pineapple
Today I noticed very small, black-brown, circular bite marks on my N. Peter D'amato x Maxima. I can't get a picture right now, but if you could just throw out possibilities, I could Google Images it and confirm the diagnosis. Small, black-brown, circular bite marks are the best I can describe them. They are maybe 1mm wide, and there's probably twenty to thirty of them scattered on the UNDER SIDES of all of the leaves. The tops of the leaves look fine, it's just the bottom. It's a very healthy plant by the looks of it. The other five neps in the terrarium with it have no signs of infection.

Any ideas? Are there any nep-safe insecticides I could spray them with?

Temperature - 64-66F (night) 74-78F (day)
Humidity - 80% (day) 90% (night)

They are in a temporary terrarium until it warms up enough to move them outside to my greenhouse. I just added the nep in question a week ago, along with two others. I had three in the terrarium for a good while before with no issues. All of the neps in the terrarium are highlanders.

Edit: These just appeared within the last day or two... :)
 
Sounds to me like you are describing nectar glands on the underside of the leaves.
 
I'm with Paul here. Those sound like the nectar glands on the underside of the leaves.
 
2il1mp3.jpg


2uh1g6h.jpg


I don't believe it's scale, but I'm a novice.
 
They're normal, don't worry. Not all of mine have them either. They're very prominent on my X miranda and my X gothica though.
 
They're normal, don't worry. Not all of mine have them either. They're very prominent on my X miranda and my X gothica though.

It puzzles me because they didn't have them just three days ago. I fed all of my neps with pitchers some ants a few days ago, so could they have produced more nectar glands to attract more insects into the pitchers? ???
 
  • #10
As I suspected: nectar glands. They are normal for certain species (and their hybrids) and are yet another tool the plant has for attracting prey to it. Nectar glands = sugar = ants/lunch!

---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------

It puzzles me because they didn't have them just three days ago. I fed all of my neps with pitchers some ants a few days ago, so could they have produced more nectar glands to attract more insects into the pitchers? ???

They were there, you just didn't see them. Nectar glands don't magically appear, a leaf forms with them already present.
 
  • #11
As I suspected: nectar glands. They are normal for certain species (and their hybrids) and are yet another tool the plant has for attracting prey to it. Nectar glands = sugar = ants/lunch!

Does that mean they are ready to accept more food than the two ants I fed them? I find joy in feeding bugs to plants, so more fun for me! :-D

---------- Post added at 08:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 PM ----------

As I suspected: nectar glands. They are normal for certain species (and their hybrids) and are yet another tool the plant has for attracting prey to it. Nectar glands = sugar = ants/lunch!

---------- Post added at 08:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:07 PM ----------



They were there, you just didn't see them. Nectar glands don't magically appear, a leaf forms with them already present.

But I have pictures of the leaves from a few days ago and they weren't there... Did they just get bigger/mature? I actually see one in the picture from a few days ago, but only one.
 
  • #12
Just when I was about to make an acne metaphor.
 
  • #13
Thanks for all the quick replies! I was really scared because I didn't want to lose one so quickly. I'm glad it's a good thing rather than a bad thing. :)
 
  • #14
If you're doing things right they will start secreting big drops of nectar, which are actually quite tastty....
 
  • #15
Look up pictures of Nepenthes glandulifera and you will see just how prominent this feature can be.
 
  • #16
If you're doing things right they will start secreting big drops of nectar, which are actually quite tastty....

Haha, that's awesome! I might try one if the are produced. Hopefully I won't die. :blush:
 
Back
Top