| Catopsis berteroniana and Brocchinia reducta have both been observed to use insects caught in their tank pools as a source of nutrients.
Catopsis berteroniana is an epiphyte that produces a powder on its leaves which reflects ultraviolet light. This is the type of light many insects navigate by, so during the day the plant appears as open sky! The insects fly into the plant and often fall into the pools. the powder is also slippery to hinder the insect's escape.
Brocchinia reducta acts more like other pitcher plants, producing a sweet nectar to attract insects, then uses its waxy leaves to cause insects to slip into the pool tank. The pool tank is acidic to help protease enzymes break down the insects (very similiar to animal stomachs). Although the plant itself does not produce the protease Its argued it doesn't need to as there are enough bacterial and fungal breakdown going on within the tank. The bacteria and fungi get their food from the catch, and the bromeliad gets the remainder of the broken down insects.  |