Catopsis Berteroniana

Catopsis berteroniana is a bromeliad (family Bromeliaceae) native to southern Florida, Central America, the Caribbean, and tropical South America, where it grows as an epiphyte in humid forests. It is considered the most carnivorous member of the Bromeliaceae, though it is debated as a true carnivore: the inner leaf surfaces are coated with ultraviolet-reflective white farina (waxy powder) that attracts and possibly disorients insects, causing them to fall into the central water-holding tank formed by the overlapping leaf bases. Trapped insects drown and are decomposed by microbial activity in the tank water, with the plant absorbing the released nutrients through specialized leaf trichomes. No digestive enzymes are produced by the plant itself. Cultivation follows bromeliad culture: epiphytic well-draining media, pure or rainwater in the central tank, high humidity, and warm temperatures (20–35°C).

Insects (auto-capture)