By Isabella Lin, Ryan Gabelman, Hillary Poalacin, Luke Sparreo

Apr 28 2026

The purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) is a carnivorous plant found throughout eastern North America. The purple pitcher plant collects and stores rainwater, mixing it with digestive enzymes so that prey lured by its nectar can be broken down and “eaten.” This prey provides the plant with nitrogen and phosphorus that it otherwise would struggle to acquire through the soil. Inside each pitcher is a specialized microecosystem that contains bacteria, insect larvae, and even mites. Even though S. purpurea synthesizes its own digestive enzymes to digest prey, digestion of prey also occurs in these microorganisms. The mite Sarraceniopus gibsonii is one of these specialized organisms that lives exclusively in S. purpurea. Due to this mite association, when prey is captured, it may not only be S. purpurea’s enzymes that break down prey. It is thought that Sarraceniopus gibsonii decomposes prey trapped by the plant, supplying food for the mite and potentially facilitating digestion for the plant.