Tanked bugs...

[Parasuco]

Can anyone confirm what i read on a web page?

It said that the nectar in sarracenia plants is laced with a chemical that makes flies drunk. How true is this? That seems almost too good to be true. So the pitchers can be used for more than catching flies... This could be the equivalent of a salt lick for humans.... Yum... lap lap lap...
Bah, thats not funny. Anyhow, is there really drunkifying liquid on the lip of the pitchers?

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Very true, but only in the S.Flava variety of Sarracenia. It produces Coniine which drunkens fly very much!

 

[havron]

I hear that some Nepenthes do this as well, including ventricosa.

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

Yep, also very true. N.Infundibuliformis or also known as N.Eymae catches insects by a sticky lubricating fluid around the peristome and on contact it paralyzes most any prey, then they slowly slide into the pool of digestive juices.

 

[havron]

Cool.

Does N. inermis do the same thing?

 

[Parasuco]

Wow, seriously... I want one of those nepenthes... Does anyone have seeds/a LEAF/baby plants I really really want a plant that paralyzes bugs... My brother bugs me...... ...... well,, j/k, but really, i do want one of those nepenthes. How expensive are they?

 

[Parasuco]

HOW drunk do these flies get btw... REALLY, or is it not noticable?

 

[havron]

They get drunk enough that they just fall right into the pitchers if I'm not mistaken. I've actually watched this happen with my N. rafflesiana. Does anyone know if this species gets insects drunk too?

 

[Pyro]

Most Neps do, and I think more Sarrs than just S. flava have it too though I may be mistaken.

Pyro

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

N.Infundibuliformis is quite expensive. I have seen the lowest priced at around &#3690.00. But they can go much higher! Yes, you can see the intoxicating effect of the nectar take palce on the insects that drink ENOUGH of it. You may see them walking in circles or even fall down and have difficuly getting back up. But they are still being lured by the pitcher mouth's nectar and will eventually and easily fall in. Havron, Almost ALL Nepenthes have intoxacating effects on prey so N.Inermis porbably does also. Yes Pyro, I made a typing error in my post about the Flava and coniine. It was supposed to be but espically in Flava. So yes all other Sarracenia have the drug coniine in them. That was a typo on me! Sorry bout that!

 

[Pyro]

NepG,

I didn't mean it as a critique I was just mentioning what I thought I had heard. Sorry if it sounded bad, I really didn't mean it to be.

Pyro

 

[larry]

That sounds funny.  I would love to see an insect get drunk and fall over on its side

Has anyone licked/taste their plants?  I wonder what effect it would have.  Probably not much since humans are so big huh?  I've licked my D. capensis, but only to see if the dew was sweet or not.  And yes, I made sure the one I licked had no bugs on it

 

[havron]

Well...was it sweet or not?

 

[larry]

not

 

[havron]

lol...what did it taste like?

 

[Dionaea Enthusiast]

if you know anything about me, you know I tried it myself.

unfortunately, it had no taste (although the tentacles feel strange on your tongue!)
nor did D. 'Marston Dragon', or spatulata
Chris

 

[nepenthes gracilis]

That is all gross! You guys have ingested Digestive Enzymes, Drosera Glue and who knows what else! Gross! Blecch! It makes me cringe to even think about that!

 

[Parasuco]

Hum... I cant lick my drosera... The dew is forming just enough to be there... Its no factory...

I think i watched a bug get drunk on my S. purpurea... It was walking down the hairs on the hood. Stopped. Step. Step. Tumble... I peed myself laughing... It was the first time i'd ever seen a pitcher plant eat a bug without me feeding it! Yea, i've got lots of fruit flies in my room, but none get eaten. They're too dumb. I dont know where they're breeding. There is about four or five of them... Thats ok, hopefully they'll make offspring in time for my Droseras new leaf. But why not my pitcherplant... they should all go suck coniine and drown while drunk... NO! They should get drunk, fall in, the cold water will sober them up, then they will be all too well aware of their sill stumble! Bwaha!!

 

[havron]

Reminds me of when I watched my N. rafflesiana get an insect drunk and see it fall in. I laughed too.

DE, you actually tried various species? lol, a true scientist!

 

[larry]

Hey Nep G., you're the one that recommends drinking nepenthes fluid