I found an ant wandering around my office, no doubt a straggler
from my recent invasion. I got it on my finger, then transferred
it to a recently opened Helimphora pitcher. The ant walked around
the outside of the pitcher, checking it out, then walked the edge,
then headed inside. I was surprised to see it head directly down
to the beginning of the waxy zone, where it tried to turn back,
and fell into the water of the pitcher. I've tried this before,
and on older pitchers the ant sunk immediately. On this newly
opened pitcher the ant floated near the top for a while. Is
Heliamphora known to release a surface-tension reducing agent
into the pitcher contents? I believe Nepenthes does this.
Robert.