Cape Sundews Trap Bugs In A Sticky Situation | Deep Look
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Published 2020-07-28
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DEEP LOOK is a ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small.
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If you have houseplants, most of the time there's not a lot of visible activity.
But then there are carnivorous plants, like sundews. They aren’t content to just sit still. Typically found in habitats where other plants usually can’t thrive — like bogs with nutrient-poor soil — they often need to supplement their diet with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. Carnivorous plants have developed a way to obtain these key nutrients from another source: insects.
---+ Read the entire article on KQED Science:
www.kqed.org/science/1966521/cape-sundews-trap-bug…
---+ Why must you use distilled water with carnivorous plants?
“Many carnivorous plants have evolved carnivory in response to a substantial lack of nutrients in their native soils. As a result of living in nutrient-poor soils for so long, their root systems tend to be very sensitive to minerals. It’s like if you stayed inside for months, then went out on a sunny day. Your skin is going to be extra-sensitive and could burn easily. We give them rainwater or distilled water that has these minerals removed.”
---+ What happens to the exoskeletons of the insects after they finish digesting them?
“Carnivorous plants can only digest soft tissues, and insect exoskeletons (made of out chitin and other proteins) are too tough and too nutrient-poor for them to digest. Exoskeletons are left behind after digestions and depending on the plant, can be washed away by rain, or simply just “hang out” on the leaf. Many carnivores can continue to catch insects even if there is an exoskeleton left behind as long as it doesn’t impede the mechanical trapping mechanism.”
---+ Do these plants have predators?
“Yes! Traditional “pests” like grasshoppers, caterpillars, aphids, scale, mealybugs, etc. can chew holes in traps or weaken developing leaves. Many can avoid the traps themselves.”
---+ The above answers were provided by David Fefferman of the Carnivorous Plant Resource. For more information:
Carnivorous Plant Resource
carnivorousplantresource.com/
The Exploratorium: Electrified Plants Video
www.exploratorium.edu/video/electrified-plants
KQED: Predatory Plant: Lure of the Cobra Lily
www.kqed.org/science/12317/predatory-plant-lure-of…
---+ Shoutout!
🏆Congratulations🏆 to the following five fans on our Deep Look Community Tab for first correctly identifying the sticky hairs on our sundews, called glandular trichomes, or glandular tentacles!
Ary Mailhos
geezluis
Dylan Lawrence
spontaneous creativity
Carmella Papa
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#carnivorousplants #capesundew #deeplook
All Comments (21)
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- bug: "you look delicious." - plant: "you too." - bug: "thanks, I just... EXCUSE ME?"
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"When the enemy is near surround them" - Sun dew, The art of plants
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Bug: gets caught and curled by a leaf with dew-like glue Bug: "guess I'll die"
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“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ― Lao Tzu
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How do carnivorous plants eat? Venus Flytrap: I wait for my prey to land in my mouth and eat it. Pitcher Plant: I have slippery inner walls that prevent my prey from escaping. Sundew: *eating glue in the corner* Glue.
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Her voice is so soothing! She needs to make a meditation series, lol
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Death by lollipop hugging.
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Now I’m curious why the sweet sweet Mountain Dew wasn’t called sun dew
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This is a really sticky situation
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Love this and Zefrank's version ❤❤❤
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If you guys are wandering about lunadancer. How he/she got early. Well, patreon supporters get early access.
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Some fine camera work on display. I love how you opted to get the shots out in the bog with the sunshine. That's what you needed to capture the spirit of the sundew. And casting them as the hero of the piece with the shot featuring the horsefly was a nice touch. I work in bogs, amongst sundews, and with horseflies, so I extra-loved this.
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I never knew these kinds of plants existed. So cool! Thanks Deep Look for giving us another great video!
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"We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." --Native American proverb
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Can I deliver us, a river of sundew. Careful, it’s carnivorous,
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Sundew plants are one of my favorite plants, they're so beautiful.
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Can I deliver us a river of sundews, careful it's carnivorous, a little just won't do.
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"Feed me Seymour" -Audrey II
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So they’re caught in an “Entanglement” 👀😂😂😂
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Strangely inspiring—when your surroundings cannot provide you with what you need to thrive, seek it out for yourself regardless of the difficulties that stand in your way.
