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What kinds of prey can bladderworts capture?
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Lamiales
The lilac-pink flowers of the water mint attract butterflies and beetles.
Bladderworts (genus Utricularia), which belong to the order Lamiales, are carnivorous plants that utilize specialized hollow bladders to capture and digest various tiny animals.1
Their prey primarily consists of:
* Insect larvae1
* Aquatic worms1
* Water fleas1
These plants thrive in nutrient-poor environments by using these captures to obtain essential organic nitrogen and phosphorus, and potentially additional carbon. The capture mechanism is highly efficient; when prey triggers bristles on the trap's door, a vacuum effect sucks the animal inside in a fraction of a second, where it is subsequently digested.1