> Is it the exoskeleton or the innards of the insect that nourish most
> pitchers (sarrecenia and nephenes)?
>
> What about Venus flytrap? It appears to me that flytraps do very little
> digestion of the exoskeleton of the insect.
>
> --
> Will Estes U.S. Computer
> Internet: westes@usc.com P.O. Box 3150
> Saratoga, CA 95070-1150
> FAX: 408-446-1013
>
>
Yes, you're right. It's the innards. Insect exoskeletons are
very durable and almost impossible to break down. Only some bacteria are
capable of utilizing it. It may be that the insect exoskeletons would
eventually be broken down, but since rain and wind gets rid of the
exoskeleton, you'd probably never see this happening.
Chris