Catapulting tentacles in a sticky carnivorous plant.
Among trapping mechanisms in carnivorous plants, those termed 'active' have especially fascinated scientists since Charles Darwin's early works because trap movements are involved. Fast snap-trapping and suction of prey are two of the most spectacular examples for how these plants actively catch animals, mainly arthropods, for a substantial nutrient supply. We show that Drosera glanduligera, a sundew from southern Australia, features a sophisticated catapult mechanism: Prey animals walking near the edge of the sundew trigger a touch-sensitive snap-tentacle, which swiftly catapults them onto adjacent sticky glue-tentacles; the insects are then slowly drawn within the concave trap leaf by sticky tentacles. This is the first detailed documentation and analysis of such catapult-flypaper traps in action and highlights a unique and surprisingly complex mechanical adaptation to carnivory.
Plant Biomechanics Group, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. simon.poppinga@biologie.uni-freiburg.de
Simon
S
Poppinga
Siegfried Richard Heinrich
SR
Hartmeyer
Robin
R
Seidel
Tom
T
Masselter
Irmgard
I
Hartmeyer
Thomas
T
Speck
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods; D060435:Carnivory; D004175:Diptera; D029787:Drosera; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D009038:Motion; D009068:Movement; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical