Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

Hi All,

It's nice to see that this discussion is going somewhere, and that several of you find it interesting. The constituents of Nepenthes fluid are still pretty much a mystery though. While nobody can be sure, the viscosity of the fluid in newly opened pitchers does not seem to be due to enzymes. In the few occasions when enzymes have been isolated from pitcher fluid, they are present in very small amounts. Current thinking suggests that the viscosity is more likely to be due to polysaccharides, which are common in plant-produced mucilage (but there's no proof yet). There was a recent paper that studied the trapping capabilities of the fluid due to its high viscoelastic properties (I can't remember the details at the moment, but tell that to your friends who grow sundews!). Trouble is, this is quite difficult to measure without sophisticated equipment. However, we are slowly finding out lots of new things about how Nepenthes pitchers work and no doubt the properties of the fluid will be investigated in detail in the near future.

In some work I did in Brunei in the early 1990's, the first mosquito larvae colonised the pitchers within 2-3 days of them opening, so the fluid viscosity per se is not an obstacle for some species. However, some other species only colonise pitchers that have been open for 40 days or more, so obviously there is some link between pitcher age and "suitability" for these species. Over the next 3-4 years, I hope to get quite a few students doing projects that will investigate a number of these things.

I'm really interested in what you guys find in your cultivated pitchers - from an ecologist's point of view, your pitchers represent an empty (but very specialised) habitat and we can learn a lot from the things you see in your gardens! In the last 2-3 years there has been a quiet revolution in our understanding of how Nepenthes pitchers function, and there is a great deal more new information just around the corner. It's an exciting time, but the downside is the the info comes through slowly and occasionally in scientific journals, so we all have to be patient.

Cheers,

Charles

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

I think the water inside the pitcher is just somekind of water with fetilzer from the vitim. Nothing can kill but be drown. If the animal can swim then it can live there. Will try by put some some fish in my truncata's pitchers.
Dear all
Lamde83

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

Wow lamede isn't that a bit cruel?? Maybe some frog lar xD

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

how can a frog can get into the pitcher ? and how the young frog to get out of there ? :D just thinking ! kidding

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

Maybe really drown then can dissolve or something like that?

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

I had lizards in my miranda couple of times

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

after some observation lately, i found mozzi larvae do survive in sarracenia purpurea sp purpurea, they hatch from the eggs till it turns into mozzi flying off in the pitcher

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

Jus wanted to add my observation. I accidently spilled half my pitcher contents from my n. xDyeriana and together with a hundred dead ants :smile: there was about half a dozen mosquito larvae. The pitcher is nearly one and a half month old with the peristome starting to blacken off. I noticed that the mosquito larvae were quite small and sluggish, unlike the ones I commonly see in normal water. Also, they were very transparent with faded stripes at its back(abdomen). Worth noting also that there were no huge larvae at 1cm in length which leads me to guess that these larvae are slow growers.

Also, how's the research, Mr. Clarke? It's nearly a year since the last post and I really like to know the progress and what we will learn about the mosquito larvae in pitchers.

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

The research has gone really well, thanks. We're in the process of analysing the data now, and hope to publish some of our findings later in the year. However, we had to change the scope of the project quite a lot. Our initial plan was to look at cultivated plants in collectors' gardens/greenhouses, but as we only got one firm offer of co-operation (everyone else went to ground when the time came to commit to the project!), we had to switch our project to looking at wild plants. However, this turned to be a very good "Plan B" and we now have a PhD student looking at this subject in more detail.

Cheers,

Charles

Re: Research into mosquito larvae in pitchers
 

Thats good! I can't wait for a published report! :1thumbup: good luck!