Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1999 20:55:46 -0800 From: garko@juno.com (Gary Kong) To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg28$foo@default> Subject: Sarracenia and ants--
Hi Everyone--
My Sarracenia (leucophylla/flava hybrid) has yet to die back, so since
all other food sources for ants have grown scarce, my plants have
attracted swarms of ants. I've consistently observed the hoods and lips
covered with ants during the cooler morning hours and later in the day
when the sun has passed, but when the sun warms the pitchers, the ants
almost seem to disappear. At first, I thought the ants were avoiding the
sun and retreating to their nests, but then I began to notice that once
the leaf surface warmed, the ants were less surefooted as they crossed
over areas that had previously provided a foothold. Sure enough, the
pitchers have gradually filled. My guess: the waxy cuticle warms,
becomes slippery, dislodges wax more readily which clogs their foot
parts--they can't hold on and fall in.
In addition, earlier in the year when ants were avoiding the pitchers,
I'd noticed small fruit flies and fungus gnats falling into the traps,
but flying out unharmed. Now that the traps are full of swarming angry
ants, anything that falls in becomes covered with ants and is unable to
escape. Gruesome. Fascinating.
Just thought I'd share,
Gary
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