Stromberg, Joseph. “Deadly Glow.” Smithsonian January 2014: 16. Print.
Researchers at Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute have discovered an aspect of carnivorous plants that attracts insects to their inevitable death. Immersing a pitcher plant in ultraviolet light, the team discovered that the lip of the plant glowed blue. Insects, who can see this part of the electromagnetic spectrum, are drawn to the bright glow. This hypothesis was tested in covering some plants with paint that prohibited fluorescent emissions, while leaving some unpainted. The plants that were allowed to glow attracted significantly more insects.
The study’s primary author, Sabulal Baby, is still working on discovering other factors that could be involved. Still, this piece of evidence reveals a lot in and of itself.
