''Pameridea'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three ...

s comprising two species, ''P. roridulae'' and ''P. marlothii'', that live in symbiotic relationships with carnivorous plants in the genus ''

Roridula ''Roridula'' (; from Latin ''roridus'' "dewy") is a genus of evergreen, insect-trapping shrubs, with two species, of about 1⅓–2 m (4–6⅔ ft). It is the only genus in the family Roridulaceae. It has thin, woody, shyly branching, upright, in ...

''. ''Pameridea marlothii'' only occurs on ''R. dentata'', while ''P. roridulae'' exists on both ''R. dentata'' and ''R. gorgonias''.

Life cycle

''Pameridea roridulae'' can only live on ''Roridula'', where it feeds on insects that the plant captures with its

resin In polymer chemistry and materials science, resin is a solid or highly viscous substance of plant or synthetic origin that is typically convertible into polymers. Resins are usually mixtures of organic compounds. This article focuses on n ...

-tipped

trichome Trichomes (); ) are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function. Examples are hairs, glandular hairs, scales, and papillae. A covering of any kind of hair on a p ...

s.Voigt, D. and Gorb S. (2008) An insect trap as habitat: cohesion-failure mechanism prevents adhesion of ''Pameridea roridulae'' bugs to the sticky surface of the plant ''Roridula gorgonias''. The Journal of Experimental Biology 211, 2647-2657. After devouring the captured

arthropod Arthropods (, (gen. ποδός)) are invertebrate animals with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. Arthropods form the phylum Arthropoda. They are distinguished by their jointed limbs and cuticle made of chiti ...

s, bugs in the genus excrete waste, which the plant absorbs using glands, making it an example of symbiosis. ''Pameridea'' also mates while on the plant, and hatchlings continue to live on the ''Roridula'' plant.

Conservation status

Since it is symbiotic with ''Roridula'', its conservation status depends on the status of the plant. The ''Roridula'' plant is scarce in the wild, due to collecting, pollution, and

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

, although it is secure in cultivation from avid carnivorous plant enthusiasts.

Characteristics

''Pameridea roridulae'' and ''P. marlothii'' both have wings; however they are not very good fliers. They are small bugs, usually not reaching more than a few millimetres in size.

Relationship with ''Roridula''

The relationship with ''Roridula'' consists primarily of the fact that ''Roridula'' produces a resin that cannot digest captured insects like other carnivorous plants such as ''

Dionaea muscipula The Venus flytrap (''Dionaea muscipula'') is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands on the East Coast of the United States in North Carolina and South Carolina. It catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids—with a trapping ...

'', ''

Drosera ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginou ...

'', ''

Pinguicula ''Pinguicula'', commonly known as the butterworts, is a genus of carnivorous flowering plants in the family Lentibulariaceae. They use sticky, glandular leaves to lure, trap, and digest insects in order to supplement the poor mineral nutrition ...

'', and '' Nepenthes''. Thus, ''P. roridulae'' and ''P. marlothii'' devour the trapped insects on the ''Roridula'' and then excrete waste that is consumable by the plant to supplement its diet, since it grows in nutrient poor soil. Without the ''Roridula'', ''Pameridea'' cannot find a food source and ultimately die. Because ''P. roridulae'' and ''P. marlothii'' eat and digest the food for the plant, some carnivorous plant enthusiasts consider ''Roridula'' only sub-carnivorous. However, ''

Sarracenia purpurea ''Sarracenia purpurea'', the purple pitcher plant, northern pitcher plant, turtle socks, or side-saddle flower, is a carnivorous plant in the family Sarraceniaceae. Description Like other species of ''Sarracenia'', ''S. purpurea'' obtains most ...

'' uses a variety of worms to digest captured arthropods for them, as does '' Darlingtonia californica'', and these plants are generally considered carnivorous. ''Pameridea'' have special feet with hairs on them that allow them to run through the plants' resin without being caught in it.

References

External links

Information on ''P. marlothii'' and ''P. roridulae'' and ''Roridula'' plants in general
{{Taxonbar, from=Q146616 Miridae genera Dicyphini