Question

How does a pitcher plant catch insects?

Answer 1

Hint: Pitcher plants thrive on nutrient-depleted soils and wetland habitats such as swamps, bogs, marshes, and fens. Plants that grow near bodies of water, such as lake margins, river banks, and springs, are known as tropical pitcher plants. Despite the fact that pitcher plants are fully capable of photosynthetic nourishment, they are carnivorous. The reason for their adaptability is the environment in which they grow. They change their organs to make it easier for them to catch their prey.

Complete answer:
Pitcher plants catch insects in a modified trap-like organ to meet their nitrogen and other nutritional requirements when they develop in nitrogen-deficient soil. The nutrients necessary for the plant's regular functioning are provided by the dead bug trapped inside its trap.
They have a leaf modified into a pitcher which contains a fluid full of digestive enzymes. Once an insect drops into the pitcher it is consumed by the digestive juice in the pitcher.
The plant employs a variety of techniques to attract insects, including anthocyanin colours and nectar. The trap's rim is coated in honey, making it slick enough for the bug to fall inside. Any species of insect can be used for foraging, flying, or crawling. Various features of the plant, such as scales and folds, hinder the fly from escaping the trap.
When an insect falls into it, phytotelmata drowns the insect, which is then destroyed by enzymes or bacteria. The insect's body breaks down into amino acids, peptides, phosphates, ammonia, and other compounds that give the plant with the nitrogen and phosphorus it needs to thrive in soils that are too low for most plants to thrive in.

Note:
Some pitcher plants form a mutualistic connection with insect larvae, allowing them to feed on the trapped prey while also receiving nutrients from the excreta. Plants such as N. lowii have a symbiotic connection with tree shrews, who eat on the plant's nectar and then defecate within the pitcher, supplying sustenance to the plant. Pitcher plants show significant evolutionary strategies to capture their prey.