Photo of the Day
a carpenter ant emerging from a fanged pitcher plant in Borneo
March 8, 2015
The Pitcher and the Carpenter
The fanged pitcher plant and the carpenter ant (seen here in Borneo) have a mutualistic relationship: While the plant’s pitcher stem provides a home for small ant colonies of up to 30 individuals, the ants keep the chemistry of the pitcher’s liquid balanced by removing large insects that have found their way inside. If the insects were to rot in the liquid, it would spoil.
See more images of Borneo’s carnivorous pitcher plants on Proof.
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