Pitcher Dissection

Pitcher Dissection

February 5, 2011

Ever since we went on the hike at the Sundew Trail and saw the Pitcher Plants Stewart has been wanting to dissect one to see what is inside of it. He knew of a place that had some growing wild and so we stopped on our way home and cut a specimen for dissection.

 

Taking a scalpel he carefully cut it along the seem the length of the plant.

Much to our surprise it was full of dead bugs. We figured it would be a couple bugs but there was hundreds.

All kinds of bugs: flies, pill bugs, lady bugs were a few we could identify. The farther down the shaft we looked, the less identifiable the bugs became as they decayed and the plant absorbed their nutrients.

It was a very good science project. I believe I need to get some of these plants and have them around the yard to help control the lovely East Texas insect population.