Carnivorous plants may lure their insect prey with specialized scents

(CNN) Sarracenia pitcher plants, found in bogs throughout eastern North America, look like trumpet-shaped flowers, often in purplish or reddish hues. But looks can be deceiving. The striking “flowers” are actually modified leaves, forming a cup that contains digestive enzymes.

When a small animal — usually an insect — wanders too close, the pitcher functions like a pitfall trap,…