A carnivorous pitcher plant has been found to use a toxic nerve agent to incapacitate its prey before digesting it, scientists have discovered.
Nepenthes khasiana produces a sweet nectar along the rim of its pitcher-shaped leaves to attract insects, particularly ants. Researchers have found that this nectar contains isoshinanolone, a nerve toxin that disrupts the insects’ nervous systems, slowing movement, weakening muscles and triggering excessive grooming.
As the toxin takes effect, affected insects lose coordination, often falling upside down into the pitcher, where some die immediately while others are later drowned and digested in the plant’s acidic fluids. The nectar also contains sugars that absorb water, making the rim extremely slippery and increasing the chance of prey falling inside.
The combination of sweet bait, toxic chemistry and a slick surface makes the nectar both lure and weapon, helping the plant obtain nutrients in the nutrient-poor soils where it grows.
