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Ant attracting pitchers

I was playing around with the camera in my glasshouse today and got a few shots that I thought were interesting.  Especially base on my post last month asking about ants being attracted to the pitchers.

First is my N. rafflesiana.  Only a couple of ants:

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Next is my N. ventricosa.  Its interesting to note that this plant currently has about 10 active pitchers yet this was the only one that was attracting ants today (different pitchers seem to attract the ants on different days:

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Aaron.
 
Did any of the ants fall in the Pitcher or did they just feed off the nectar and leave?
 
Peter,

Many ants fell into the N. ventricosa. My best guess is 50-100 ants in the ventricosa and half a dozen or so in the raff.

Aaron.
 
Sweetness.
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Very nice pictures!
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LOL, its really funny to watch as they look into the pitcher then....slip!

*plop*
 
Travis,  Thanks mate, and yes they are sweet ;-)

Hope I’m not going to be banished for this but I actually did a little taste test yesterday as well.  Very surprising how sweet the nectar is that some pitchers produce.

Definitely better than the horrid sweetish/rotten smell my S. Leucophylla produces.  I’ve had to move it out of the glasshouse due to the smell, but the bugs sure love it!

NFT, LOL. Don't know about 'funny" but certainly fascinating to watch.

What I found interesting is that the ants are quite active and excited (normal behaviour for an ant) when going too the pitcher.  However, after some time feeding they seem to get almost drunk or drowsy, then fall in.  My best ‘guestimation’ is that about 1/3 to 1/2 of the ants that came to feed did not escape.

Could there be something in the nectar that has this effect?

Aaron.
 
Hi Aaron,
  Yes, the nep nectar is drugged.  The ants do indeed get "drunk" (or high?  trippin?  whatever).  
  You won't get banished for tasting the nep nectar...I've done it on my truncata x ventricosa.  It's like honey.  
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   I think the smell from your leuco is coming from the bodies in the pitcher decomposing, not the pitcher nectar....not sure on that, though.

Great pics!
 
those are some really nice clear pictures.... I must admit I've tasted the necter on more then once instance....
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it is sweet, I can see why the ants would go for it...
 
I smear nepenthes "drool" on english muffins. tastes so good!
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(seriously, I love it!)
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  • #10
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?
Not curious enough to drink from a Nep yet... but if I was curious, I'd probably lick a sundew first.
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  • #11
Thanks for the moral support.  Glad I'm not the only one to have tasted.  Did not think I would have been!

Oh... and Chang, don't worry, I'm certainly not tempted to try the pitcher fluid.  I doubt very much it'd be nice at all.  Anyone able to confirm that?

Schloaty, I figured the nastier side of the Sarra smell was from the decaying bugs but it has a reall sweetness to it as well.  Kind of one of those smells that is nasty, yet you seem to keep sticking your nose in for another sniff
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Aaron.
 
  • #12
Super pics there Aaron...really interesting.
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Well done.
 
  • #13
does the necter on your neps have a scent? mine doesn't.... I've tasted drosera dew, didn't taste like much... as for the picther fluid I've heard that its been used as a laxative.....
 
  • #14
I hear tell you can drink from unopened(for obvious reasons!) pitchers for emergency fluid.
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I think it would be pretty funny to have a pic of an ant looking into a nepenthes and then giving him a little caption. haha
 
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