Advanced Search
Iosilevskii, G., Department of Aerospace Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
Joel, D.M., Newe-ya'Ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, POB 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
This experimental study tests the hypothesis that carnivorous pitcher plants may have developed passive aerodynamic means to trap a flying prey. Using a miniature propeller, it is shown that hovering inside a pitcher-like container induces a re-circulating flow that pulls the propeller down, towards the bottom, and that the magnitude of this effect depends on the shape of the container and the location of the propeller. Analogously, re-circulating flow induced by a hovering insect inside the trap of a carnivorous pitcher plant should pull it towards the bottom of the trap, possibly preventing its escape. © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Powered by ClearMash Solutions Ltd -
Volcani treasures
About
Terms of use
Aerodynamic trapping effect and its implications for capture of flying insects by carnivorous pitcher plants
38
Iosilevskii, G., Department of Aerospace Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000, Israel
Joel, D.M., Newe-ya'Ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, POB 1021, Ramat Yishay 30095, Israel
Aerodynamic trapping effect and its implications for capture of flying insects by carnivorous pitcher plants
This experimental study tests the hypothesis that carnivorous pitcher plants may have developed passive aerodynamic means to trap a flying prey. Using a miniature propeller, it is shown that hovering inside a pitcher-like container induces a re-circulating flow that pulls the propeller down, towards the bottom, and that the magnitude of this effect depends on the shape of the container and the location of the propeller. Analogously, re-circulating flow induced by a hovering insect inside the trap of a carnivorous pitcher plant should pull it towards the bottom of the trap, possibly preventing its escape. © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Scientific Publication
You may also be interested in