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Prey capture by the non-native carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea across sites in the Britain and Ireland.
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  • Rebecca Whatmore,
  • Paul Wood,
  • Ciara Dwyer,
  • Jonathan Millett
Rebecca Whatmore
Loughborough University School of Social Sciences and Humanities

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Paul Wood
Loughborough University School of Social Sciences and Humanities
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Ciara Dwyer
Lund University
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Jonathan Millett
Loughborough University School of Social Sciences and Humanities
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Abstract

• The carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea is native to North America, but has been introduced into Europe, where it is now widespread. We have little understanding of how this species functions in its non-native range. Such understanding will provide insight into S. purpurea ecology and support its use as a model system for investigating food webs. We measured pitcher morphology and prey capture by S. purpurea in Britain and Ireland. • Pitchers were removed from different plants at each of six bogs covering the species rage in the UK and Ireland (n = 10 pitchers per site). For each pitcher we counted and identified every prey item and took measurements of morphology. We also compiled prey capture data for existing studies in Europe and North America. • Prey capture characteristics varied between sites in the UK and Ireland. The amount of prey captured varied 2-fold between sites and was partially explained by differences in pitcher size; larger pitchers caught more prey. The primary prey was Formicidae, Diptera and Coleoptera. At the rank of order, prey composition varied between bogs, some contained mainly Formicidae, some mainly Diptera and some a mix. Plants were more specialised in prey capture at some bogs compared to others. There was no overall difference in prey capture (composition or degree of specialism) at the rank of order between plants in Europe compared to those in North America. At the rank of species, prey capture varied between populations even within the same order. • This study demonstrates a large amount of variability between sites in prey capture characteristics. This may reflect different site characteristics and/or plant strategies, will likely impact plant function, and may impact on the inquiline community. In terms of prey capture at the rank of order S. purpurea functions identically in its non-native range. This supports its use as a natural experiment for understanding food webs
04 Aug 2022Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
05 Aug 2022Submission Checks Completed
05 Aug 2022Assigned to Editor
10 Aug 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
26 Aug 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
28 Sep 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
20 Oct 20221st Revision Received
21 Oct 2022Submission Checks Completed
21 Oct 2022Assigned to Editor
21 Oct 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
17 Nov 2022Editorial Decision: Accept