Saw my Scorpioides snag a gnat out of midair

[DrWurm]

I was admiring my desktop scorpioides today when I saw a fungus gnat zoom by and slam right into the longest, tallest tentacle! It was like watching an NHL goalie make a glove save on slap shot! I pulled out my phone and took some crummy pics through a magnifier:

He's currently thrashing around like crazy, but seems pretty securely glued to the tentacle via a single back leg. I've decided to let nature take its course, and I'll let you know the outcome. I figure if he thrashes into another tentacle, that's probably game over.

 

[DrWurm]

He's now engaged a second tentacle, I think that might be game over.

I've got a time lapse video going, but I have to leave in half an hour. Hopefully I'll capture some motion in that time.

 

[Zath]

He's now engaged a second tentacle, I think that might be game over.

I've got a time lapse video going, but I have to leave in half an hour. Hopefully I'll capture some motion in that time.

Looking forward to the results. I wish I'd had my camera nearby when I watched a large fly wander into a VFT trap barely large enough to close around it.

 

[DrWurm]

Didn't get much of a plant motion reaction, but I got a pretty sweet video of gnat carnage. At about 2.5 seconds in, you see the gnat get snagged by the second tentacle. Sorry for the vertical video, but it was the easiest way for me to get the phone set up!

 

[NemJones]

I think Vertical viewing is the best for videos. Horizontal is worse quality. Nice video! makes me want to grow a Scorpioides.

 

[Bio]

The video doesn't play for me, but I'm sure that it's awesome.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Sometimes my drosera catch bugs when I am not looking and when I see what they catch all I can think is "how?" One of my capensis plants which isn't even a year old once caught this giant mosquito looking thing by a couple legs and a bit of wing. I get that they are dewy but wow is that natural glue strong.

 

[mark.ca]

Very nice looking plants, congrats!

 

[Plant Planter]

First: Great plant!
And second: This reminds me of a hilarious moment last year when my 'Cupped Trap' flytrap closed on a fly and the thing's whole head was sticking out with cartoony red eyes (no pun intended) bugging out. I have a picture somewhere...

Aha, here it is! It's in a lower right trap.