The carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana has been found to drug its prey with a toxic nerve agent hidden in its sweet nectar, researchers have discovered.
The plant releases sugary nectar along the rim of its pitchers to attract insects, especially ants. But mixed into the liquid is isoshinanolone, a nerve toxin that disrupts the insects’ nervous systems, slowing their movements, weakening muscles and triggering excessive grooming. Disoriented, the ants eventually lose control, often falling upside down into the pitcher, where some die from the toxin before being digested.
The nectar also contains water-absorbing sugars that make the rim extremely slippery, increasing the chances that prey will slide into the trap. Together, the chemical toxin and slick surface act as both bait and weapon.
This strategy allows Nepenthes khasiana to obtain vital nutrients from insects, helping it survive in the nutrient-poor soils where it grows.
