Biologists have found a plant that hides underground and traps prey

The species was named Nepenthes pudica - it is a type of pitcher plant. Botanists noticed that it

catches its prey in an unusual way that has not been recorded before. 

What sets N. pudica and its brethren apart is how and where they place their pitcher-shaped traps to catch their prey. 

Usually such plants create jugs overground or trees. If an insect gets into it, then it is difficult for it to crawl back along the slippery walls of the vessel. Once trapped at the bottom of the cavity, the insects drown and dissolve in digestive juices.

During a field expedition to the NorthIn Kalimantan in 2012, researchers noticed Nepenthes pudica plants that didn't have any pitchers on the surface, instead sitting right in the soil.

In total, the team discovered and examined 17 N. pudica, most of which digested prey in their underground pitchers. 

The authors suggest that underground environmental conditions are more stable, such as humidity, and there appears to be more potential mining during dry periods.

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