Pitcher plant’s sweet nectar hides a toxic nerve agent

A carnivorous pitcher plant has been found to drug its prey with a chemical nerve agent before consuming it. Nepenthes khasiana produces a sweet nectar on the rim of its pitchers to attract insects, especially ants, but the liquid is laced with isoshinanolone, a toxic compound that disrupts the nervous system. The chemical causes sluggish movement, muscle weakness and excessive grooming, eventually leading prey to lose control and fall into the pitcher, where they are digested. The nectar also contains water-absorbing sugars that make the rim dangerously slippery, turning the lure into an efficient trap and helping the plant survive in nutrient-poor soils.