Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'lasius neglectus'.
-
Dionaea Traps Selectively Allow Small Animals to Escape. Our prey capture experiments show that Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) selectively allow small animals to escape by a system of interlocking features that complement each other very efficiently. We documented ants of the species Lasius neglectus (length 3.5 mm) running continuously through open traps of Dionaea, established since more than 20 years outdoors in our garden. To achieve statistical relevant results, we did not only count, identify and measure captured prey. Other than in former publications, we counted also the escaped ants (15,000 after 28 days) to be able to calculate the risk for small ants visiting active traps. Surprisingly, their risk to get captured is 2.5 times lower (0.04%) than the risk of mortality by medical malpractice for a human in a German hospital (0.1%). None of the four single features of the interlocking "escape system" described here would alone be able to provide such an efficient sorting out of small animals. This film is based on the same named publication in Carnivorous Plant Newsletter (December CPN, Vol. 48/4 - On the release of this film in September 2019 in press): Dionaea Traps Selectively Allow Small Animals to Escape by Siegfried R. H. Hartmeyer, Irmgard Hartmeyer and Emeritus Prof. Stephen E. Williams.
- 1 reply
-
- 1
-
-
- lasius neglectus
- dionaea muscipula
-
(and 1 more)
Tagged with:
-
Sarracenia leucophylla: Attention Bee Trap (English subtitles) With its shiningly white patterned leaves Sarracenia leucophylla is certainly one of the most distinctive pitcher plants. We observed the impact of this large carnivore's attractivity to insects in the surroundings quite coincidentally in summer 2019. Suddenly, a whole ant colony had vanished that we observed for weeks in the frame of experiments with Venus flytraps. Looking for the reason, we did not only find the missing ants. Thereby, we unfortunately also found many dead honey bees. We kept an eye on this during the season, which confirmed that the white patterned leaves of Sarracenia leucophylla capture predominantly honey bees - at least with us. With several plants some hundreds of them may be captured during a season, about what no beekeepers around will be happy. Therefore, we decided to close the pitchers with cotton-wool plugs which does no harm except of the prey loss. Instead of bees they get now a little fertilizer, which also works. However, at the natural environment also Sarracenia leucophylla has its enemies like the moth Exyra, which skillfull and savely uses the pitcher traps for its own peculiar purposes ...
-
- sarracenia leucophylla
- splinter hill
- (and 3 more)