What are some plants that eat insects?

Nepenthes

Nepenthes plants are a type of herbaceous plants that have the ability to prey on insects. In nature, pitcher plants often grow flat on the ground. The structure of their leaves is complex, consisting of petioles, leaf bodies and tendrils. The tails of the tendrils are enlarged and curled back to form a bottle shape, which can prey on insects. Nepenthes has a raceme of small green or purple flowers. The pitcher plant's pitcher-shaped body on top of its leaves is a tool for catching insects. The edge of the bottle-shaped opening and the surface of the bottle cap can secrete nectar to attract insects. The mouth of the bottle is smooth, and when the insects slide into the bottle, they are drowned by the liquid secreted from the bottom of the bottle, which decomposes the nutrients in the insect body and gradually digests and absorbs them.

Sarracenia

Pitcher plants belong to the genus Pitcher of the family Pitcheraceae. Their tubular leaves can secrete digestive juices, which, when mixed with the rainwater stored in them, can cause insects trapped in the tube to rot. That is, they use their leaves to capture and digest insects such as ants and wasps. Pitchforks usually use nectar to attract insects. On the insect trap of the pitcher plant, there are many nectar glands near the mouth of the pitcher, which can secrete juice containing fructose to attract insects. When insects consume this venom, they become unconscious, paralyzed, or die.

Venus Flytrap

The Venus flytrap is a type of vascular plant and a popular insectivorous plant with complete roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds. Its leaves are the most important and obvious part, which have the function of preying on insects. The obvious spines and red sessile glandular parts look like a bloody mouth with sharp claws. Potted plants can be used for viewing on sunny windowsills and balconies, or they can be cultivated in planting troughs. The Venus flytrap is known as a carnivorous plant in nature.

Sundew

Plants rely on photosynthesis of chlorophyll to produce nutrients to survive. However, a small number of plants can prey on small insects to absorb nutrients. Sundew is one of these insectivorous plants. This plant can catch insects and then secrete liquid to digest and absorb the nutrients in the insect body.

Knotweed

The smilax glabra is a carnivorous plant that often grows on grass or wet rock surfaces or sandy soil. The leaves of the smilax glabra are spread flat on the ground in a rosette shape. The leaves are wide spoon-shaped and covered with glandular hairs on the edges. When an insect falls into it, the glandular hairs surround the insect body, and the sticky glands stick to the insect. The secreted liquid can decompose the insect's protein and other nutrients, which are then absorbed by the leaf surface.

Utricularia lutea

The most common carnivorous plants in the water are those of the Bladderwort family. Except for the inflorescence, the entire plant is submerged in water. There are ovoid insect-catching sacs on its leaf organs that can capture tiny insects or zooplankton in the water. In summer and autumn, the inflorescences emerge from the water and bloom with yellow lip-shaped flowers.

Ear-picking grass

The ear-picking grass is a carnivorous plant of the Utriculariaceae family that grows in swamp wetlands. It is an annual dwarf herb with erect stems and creeping branches. The insect capsules grow on the creeping branches of the leaf organs. Because it is carnivorous, it does not have large leaves with chlorophyll. Several small yellow flowers bloom on the top of the branches. During the fruiting period, the calyx enlarges and droops to form an ear-picking spoon shape.