Nepenthes hemsleyana is a flesh-eating pitcher plant.
Advertisement
The pitcher plant Nepenthes hemsleyana grows in the peat forests of Borneo and is a common roost for bats of the species Kerivoula hardwickii. Bats were better at finding partially hidden pitcher plants when their reflectors were intact than when the reflector had been reduced.
However, Nepethes hemsleyana has very big pitchers that are oddly short of fluid and that don’t release any obvious insect attractants.
“With these structures, the plants are able to acoustically stand out from their environments so that bats can easily find them”, says Michael Schöner of Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald in Germany.
He goes on to say, “Moreover, the bats are clearly able to distinguish their plant partner from other plants that are similar in shape, but lack the conspicuous reflector”. According to a new study, published online today in Current Biology, N. hemslayana’s tubalike shape features a long, reflective structure that extends back into the cylinder of the plant.
The plant had adapted to accommodate these tenants: that’s why their pitchers are roomier than average, and have little fluid. They wondered how the bats managed. For example, a new study has found that a carnivorous plant (that is not so good at its job) has learned to work with an animal species to attract insects.
Scientists suspected that echolocation was involved.
Researchers began this new study when they first observed this unusual relationship between the plants and bats as the bats have a regular habit of roosting inside pitcher plants. In some cases, they left the pitchers as is; in others, the researchers removed, enlarged or modified the reflective leaf structure. Researchers had previously found that the bats and the pitcher plants have a mutually beneficial relationship: The plants provide a comfy roost with few parasites and an ideal microclimate, and the bats poop in the plants.
Just as animals develop unique adaptations and specialized traits to outcompete their rivals for mates and food, plants too are locked in a never-ending competition for resources.
After determining the benefit to each – a secure roosting spot for the bats and nitrogen-rich fertilizer for the plants – the researchers questioned how the species, both somewhat rare and living in a crowded environment, were managing to find each other. Results showed that, indeed, a dish-shaped structure at the opening of the N. hemsleyana plant bounced back the bats’ cries. It turns out that the pitcher plants actually cause a strong echo reflection from their back walls.
Advertisement
