(CNN)Scientists raise prey-catching beetles underground and feed on underground creatures such as worms and larvae. I found a carnivorous plant to make. And the beetle.
Other types of carnivorous plants known in scienceI can't catch the prey underground.
Plants form special underground shoots that do not contain small white chlorophyll, researchers said. The pitcher is much larger than the leaves and has a reddish color.
"This species has a pitcher up to 11 cm long (4.3 inches long) underground and is formed in cavities or directly in the soil to capture animals. They live underground and are usually ants, mites, and beetles. " Principal Investigator Martin Danchak of Palackny University Olomouts Oromoutz University, Czech Republic.
It is known that only the other three groups of carnivorous plants capture underground prey, but they all use very different capture mechanisms and are different from Nepenthes pudica. Unlike, researchers say they can only capture very few organisms.
"Interestingly, we found that there are many creatures in the pitcher, such as mosquito larvae, nematodes, and worm species, also known as new species," Brno, Czech Republic. VáclavČermák of the University of Mendel in Mendel said. He was also a member of the research team.
Luck played a role in that discovery. Scientists noticed that the mountain plants they were exploring were very similar to Nepenthes, but the pitchers did not produce them. Initial investigation revealed that the deformed pitcher was sticking out of the soil.
"At first I thought it was a pitcher who was mistakenly buried and the environmental conditions in the area caused a shortage of other pitchers," said Ľuboš Majeský{36 at Palackny University Olomouc. } Said. Research team.
"Still, when you continue to find other carnivorous plants along the climb to the top, some carnivorous plants lose their carnivorous nature, as seen in other carnivorous plants. I wondered if it had evolved towards. "
But when taking a picture, Majesky tore the moss cushion from the root of the tree. Told. He reveals a bunch of pitchers in rich maroon shades.
This discovery is important for nature conservation on the island of Borneo, Indonesia, a biodiversity hotspot.
"We hope that the discovery of this unique carnivorous plant will help protect the rainforests of Borneo, especially to prevent or at least delay the conversion of pristine forests to oil palm plantations. "We can do it," said Wewin Tjiasmanto of the Indonesian conservation group Yayasan Konservasi Biota. Rahambasa in Surabaya who helped discover a new species.
