The carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes khasiana has been found to drug its prey with a toxic nerve agent hidden in its sweet nectar. The plant secretes the enticing liquid along the rim of its pitcher traps to attract insects, especially ants, but the nectar contains isoshinanolone, which disrupts their nervous system, causing sluggish movement, muscle weakness and disorientation. Combined with sugars that make the rim extremely slippery, the toxin increases the chances that prey will fall into the pitcher, where they are digested. The strategy allows the plant to obtain vital nutrients in the nutrient-poor soils where it grows.
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