Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The prey capture mechanism of micro structure on the Sarracenia Judith Hindle inner surface

  • Published:
Journal of Bionic Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Low friction surface has attracted considerable attention due to its potential application in various fields. As a typical carnivorous plant, Sarracenia Judith Hindle possesses unique slippery surface to capture prey especially in wet environment. In order to make clear the low friction mechanism, structural characterization was carried out and unique inclined micro-thorn structure was found on the inner wall surface. Micro-droplets harvest on the surface of the micro-thorn was discovered via the observation in wet environment. Friction force measurement was conducted by sliding the ants’ footpad on the inner surface and polymer replica surfaces, which demonstrated that the friction force decreases on those surfaces in wet environment or inward direction. Further analysis manifested that the slippery inner surface grown with hierarchical micro-thorn structure leads to the friction decrease, and that is the fundamental mechanism for prey capture and retention in the pitcher of carnivorous plant Sarracenia Judith Hindle.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chen H W, Zhang X, Che D, Zhang D Y, Li X, Li Y Y. Synthetic effect of vivid shark skin and polymer additive on drag reduction reinforcement. Advances in Mechanical Engineering, 2014, 6, 425701–425701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ren L Q, Tong J, Zhang S J, Chen B C. Reducing sliding resistance of soil against bulldozing plates by unsmoothed bionics surfaces. Journal of Terramechanics, 1995, 32, 303–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Li J Q, Sun J R, Ren L Q, Chen B C. Sliding resistance of plates with bionic bumpy surface against soil. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 2004, 1, 207–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Barthlott W, Neinhuis C. Purity of the sacred lotus, or escape from contamination in biological surfaces. Planta, 1997, 202, 1–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Neinhuis C, Barthlott W. Characterization and distribution of water-repellent, self-cleaning plant surfaces. Annals of Botany, 1997, 79, 667–677.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Scholz I, Barnes W J P, Smith J M, Baumgartner W. Ultrastructure and physical properties of an adhesive surface, the toe pad epithelium of the tree frog, Litoria caerulea White. Journal of Experimental Biology, 2009, 212, 155–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Chen H W, Zhang L W, Zhang D Y, Zhang P F, Han Z W. Bioinspired surface for surgical graspers based on the strong wet friction of tree frog toe pads. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2015, 7, 13987–13995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ju J, Bai H, Zheng Y M, Zhao T Y, Fang Y C, Jiang L. A multi-structural and multi-functional integrated fog collection system in cactus. Nature Communications, 2012, 3, 1247–1252.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Ju J, Yao X, Yang S, Wang L, Sun R Z, He Y X, Jiang L. Cactus stem inspired cone-arrayed surfaces for efficient fog collection. Advanced Functional Materials, 2014, 24, 6933–6938.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bauer U, Scharmann M, Skepper J N, Federle W. ‘Insect aquaplaning’ on a superhydrophilic hairy surface: How Heliamphora nutans Benth. pitcher plants capture prey. Proceedings Biological Sciences, 2012, 280, 2569–2574.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Chen H W, Zhang P F, Zhang L W, Liu H L, Jiang Y Zhang D Y, Han Z W, Jiang L. Continuous directional water transport on the peristome surface of Nepenthes alata. Nature, 2016, 532, 85–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Bohn H F, Federle W. Insect aquaplaning: Nepenthes pitcher plants capture prey with the peristome, a fully wettable water- lubricated anisotropic surface. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2004, 101, 38–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Furches M S, Small R L, Furches A. Hybridization leads to interspecific gene flow in Sarracenia (Sarraceniaceae). American Journal of Botany, 2013, 100, 85–91.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Ellison A M, Buckley H L, Miller T E, Gotelli N J. Morphological variation in Sarracenia purpurea (Sarraceniaceae): Geographic, environmental, and taxonomic correlates. American Journal of Botany, 2004, 91, 1930–1934.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Oswald W W, Doughty E D, Ne’eman G, Ne’eman R Ellison A M. Pollen morphology and its relationship to taxonomy of the genus Sarracenia (Sarraceniaceae). Rhodora, 2011, 113, 235–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Wakefield A E, Gotelli N J, Wittman S E, Ellison A M. Prey addition alters nutrient stoichiometry of the carnivorous plant Sarracenia purpurea. Ecology, 2005, 86, 1737–1743.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Green M L, Horner J D. The relationship between prey capture and characteristics of the carnivorous pitcher plant, Sarracenia alata wood. American Midland Naturalist, 2009, 158, 424–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Bhattarai G P, Horner J D. The importance of pitcher size in prey capture in the carnivorous plant, Sarracenia alata wood (Sarraceniaceae). American Midland Naturalist, 2016, 161, 264–272.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Heard S B. Capture rates of invertebrate prey by the pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea L. American Midland Naturalist, 1998, 139, 79–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Bhattarai G P, Horner J D. Deciphering the importance of pitcher size in prey capture in the carnivorous plant, Sarracenia alata wood. Meeting of Association of Southeastern Biologists, 2007, 264–272.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Ellison A M, Gotelli N J. Energetics and the evolution of carnivorous plants—Darwin’s’ most wonderful plants in the world’. Journal of Experimental Botany, 2009, 60, 19–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Stephens J D, Godwin R L, Folkerts D R. Distinctions in pitcher morphology and prey capture of the Okefenokee variety within the carnivorous plant species Sarracenia minor. Southeastern Naturalist, 2015, 14, 254–266.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Arber A. On the morphology of the pitcher-leaves in Heliamphora, Sarracenia, Darlingtonia, Cephalotus, and Nepenthes. Annals of Botany, 1941, 5, 563–578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Newell S J, Nastase A J. Efficiency of insect capture by Sarracenia purpurea (Sarraceniaceae), the northern pitcher plant. American Journal of Botany, 1998, 85, 88–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Horner J D, Steele J C, Underwood C A, Lingamfelter D. Age-related changes in characteristics and prey capture of seasonal cohorts of Sarracenia alata pitchers. American Midland Naturalist, 2012, 167, 13–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Evans R E, Macroberts B R, Gibson T C, Macroberts M H. Mass capture of insects by the pitcher plant Sarracenia alata (Sarraceniaceae) in southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas. Texas Journal of Science, 2002, 54, 339–346.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Du W, Wu Y. Comparison of hypsometry and goniometry in contact angle measurement. Journal of Textile Research, 2007, 28, 29–30.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Zhang P F, Chen H W, Zhang D Y. Investigation of the anisotropic morphology-induced effects of the slippery zone in pitchers of Nepenthes alata. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 2015, 12, 79–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Hamm C E, Merkel R, Springer O, Jurkojc P, Maier C, Prechtel K, Smetacek V. Architecture and material properties of diatom shells provide effective mechanical protection. Nature, 2003, 421, 841–843.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Pan J F, Cai J, Zhang D Y, Wang Y, Jiang Y G. Micro- arraying of nanostructured diatom microshells on glass substrate using ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and photolithography technology for fluorescence spectroscopy application. Physica E Low-Dimensional Systems and Nanostructures, 2012, 44, 1585–1591.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 51725501).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Yang Gan, Huawei Chen, Tong Ran, Pengfei Zhang & Deyuan Zhang

Authors
  1. Yang Gan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Huawei Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tong Ran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pengfei Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Deyuan Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huawei Chen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gan, Y., Chen, H., Ran, T. et al. The prey capture mechanism of micro structure on the Sarracenia Judith Hindle inner surface. J Bionic Eng 15, 34–41 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-017-0002-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42235-017-0002-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation