Date: Fri, 2 May 1997 10:45:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Oliver T Massey CFS <massey@hal.fmhi.usf.edu> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1758$foo@default> Subject: Re: Outdoor Neps Catching Bugs
> Hi Laurent!
Every morning I inspect the pitchers for the night's catch, and
> only rarely am I disappointed. Most often-- almost every night-- there
> are moths struggling on the surface of the pitcher water. A very wide
> variety of flies, beetles, wasps, centipedes, etc., etc. all meet their
> doom regularly in my Nepenthes pitchers. Most prey has been caught at
> night-- I'll let others tell us why.
>My Neps are my best performers, and I'll bet yours are going to be too.
> Good thoughts,
> Lance
I checked my plants yesterday just to see if the observations that have been
made re Sarrs. and Neps hold up for my plants. I have all the Sarr. species
outside mixed in with several Nep. species and hybrids.
For me, in terms of volume of insects several of the Sarrs. are outstripping
the Neps by a wide margin.
Of course, there are a few moderating effects that make comparisons difficult.
1) we are in love-bug season, and they are suicidal when it comes to their
attraction to the upright Sarrs. 2) There seems to be a real difference in the
kind of prey in the two groups, with Sarrs. attracting one or two species and
Neps attracting a bigger variety. 3) I haven't measured trap volumes, but even
the bigger Neps are generally smaller in absolute volume than the big Sarrs.
The most outstanding result I have noticed is N. mirabilis which in past years
has been so effective at catching ants that the pitchers are full of dead ants
almost to the lip. Sarrs. of course regularly fill to the top. Mirabilis and
S. purpurea also do a good job of catching garden snails.
Tom in Fl
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