The carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana has been found to use a toxic nerve agent to help capture its prey. The plant secretes a sweet nectar along the rim of its pitcher-shaped traps to attract insects, especially ants, but the liquid contains isoshinanolone, a chemical that interferes with the insects’ nervous systems.
Once exposed, ants become sluggish, lose muscle control and groom themselves excessively before falling into spasms, often tumbling headfirst into the pitcher where they are digested. In some cases, the toxin kills them outright. The nectar also contains water-absorbing sugars that make the rim extremely slippery, increasing the chance that drugged insects slide into the trap.
This combination of chemical intoxication and physical slipperiness allows the plant to efficiently capture prey, providing vital nutrients in the nutrient-poor soils where it grows.
