Hashem has made a whole bunch of different types of amazing carnivorous plants. One of them is called the Roridula gorgonias (Rg), otherwise known as the flycatcher bush. It is in many ways very similar to the Sundew plant that we discussed last week. It too has numerous tentacles, small sticks/stiff hairs, coming out of its vertical stems. It also has VERY sticky “glue” that comes out of their tips and it can catch very large insects because of its strong stickiness. It too has sweet scent to attract insects. However, there’s one big difference. While the Sundew plant (and most other Carnivorous plants) have special digestive enzymes that digest the insects that they catch, thereby getting the necessary nutrients that they need, the (Rg) does not have any digestive enzymes at all. In fact, it’s actually NOT considered a true carnivorous plant because of this. So, what good does it do them that they can catch insects if they can’t digest them? Aha! So, that’s where Hashem made another amazing miracle! Hashem put a special Insect called Pameridea roridulae (Pr), otherwise known as the assassin bug, to exclusively hang around this plant. (See pictures.) Now there’s a question that must be asked. How is it possible that in spite of the plant being full covered with very sticky glue all over it, this bug can somehow miraculously walk all over the plant without getting stuck. (We will get back to this point later.) Now, this bug lives on this plant its whole life. In fact, instinctively, they never leave this plant. It is born there and dies there. This bug lives solely by eating the bugs that get trapped on the (Rg) plant. That’s its whole diet. It has a special fang coming out by its nose area that is like a long tube with a very strong, very pointy tip. When not in use it folds it up under its head.
When in use, it is unfolded and brought down as a long stinger. It stings (pierces) the insect that is stuck on the glue and it has special enzymes that first paralyze the insect and other enzymes that then digest the insect. These special enzymes turn the insides of the insect into a liquid and then the bug sucks up the liquified “food”. The tube works like a straw to suck up its meal. Of course, we must think how an accidental insect can “develop” the correct chemical mixture that can paralyze other insects, and then it also “luckily invented” the special type of complicated enzyme needed to dissolve and liquify the insects insides so that it can suck it up as food! The assassin bug has no teeth with which to eat the bugs! It only has this sucking apparatus! Ok, so that’s all very interesting, but how does that help the plant? The plant needs the nutrition that the caught insect can provide, but it can’t digest it. So, here is the place to explain a big difference in regular plants and carnivorous plants. Regular plants typically have the ability to take nutrition out of the ground/soil where they are growing. Specifically, they need a good amount of Nitrogen. However, carnivorous plants are often found in areas that do not have fertile soil so they are lacking the crucial nutrient Nitrogen. That’s why Hashem made them have amazingly different ways that enable them to catch insects thereby getting their needed Nitrogen from the insects. However, we are still left wondering how this (Rg) plant can exist in this low-quality soul if it can’t digest insects? So, Hashem made that this special assassin bug, Pameridea roridulae, that is only found in this plant and nowhere else, should eat the insects. (There are similar types of assassin bugs, but they aren’t this special type that only lives on this plant.) But how does that help the plant? The answer is that after it eats the insects, the bug then excretes a liquidly excretion (which came from eating the insects) onto the stem of the (Rg) plant. Then the excrement is absorbed through the plants thin outer layer of its stem! In the excretion there’s is a lot of Nitrogen! This Nitrogen is then transported through the plant to where it is needed. So, Hashem has everything arranged to make the plant be able to survive!
Now, let’s go back to the big question that we had before. How is it that this bug is able to avoid getting stuck to the very strong glue on the plant, different than all the other bugs that do get stuck? So, this question bothered scientists for quite a while. Different answers / guesses / assumptions were given. However, they were all proven wrong over time. Finally, a very detailed experiment was done in a very high-tech laboratory. There they found the difference between this assassin bug and all other bugs. The difference is that all bugs have a very thin layer of some sort of grease that comes out of their “skin”. They don’t have skin, they have what’s called a cuticle, or an exoskeleton instead of skin. That layer of “grease” is quite thin. The assassin bug was specifically given by Hashem an extra special thickness of a grease layer all over its body. Its grease layer is THIRTY times thicker than all other bugs. Therefore, the sticky glue can’t connect with this bug at all! The bug just moves around freely. It doesn’t try to avoid bumping into the glue, it can bump into the glue all it wants and nothing will happen! This is NOT a coincidence. Hashem made that this one special bug, from ALL the bugs in the world, should have this unusually thick layer of grease all over it. This one bug is the only bug that lives its entire life on this plant. Hashem also made it that the excrements of this bug should have the necessary nutrients that the plant needs and thereby is kept alive through it. HASHEM has everything worked out for each of His creations!!
More amazing plants in the next article BE”H.
About the Author
Rabbi Shmuel Waldman is a prominent educator and scholar, renowned for his decades-long dedication to Jewish learning and teaching. With over 50 years immersed in Torah study, Rabbi Waldman’s educational journey began at the prestigious Mirrer Yeshiva and has since encompassed roles of leadership and mentorship, including serving as the Mashgiach at Yeshiva Mercaz Hatorah of Belle Harbor. Deeply influenced by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZTL and closely associated with Rav Don Segal, shlit”a, his teachings reflect a profound commitment to the timeless values of Judaism.
In 2002, Rabbi Waldman published the highly acclaimed book Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Convincing Evidence to the Truths of Judaism, a cornerstone in the world of kiruv. Having sold tens of thousands of copies, the book is celebrated for its compelling clarity in articulating Judaism’s foundational truths, drawing readers closer to their faith.
Throughout his career, Rabbi Waldman has shared his passion for Torah at Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe and through his involvement in various summer camps, leaving a lasting impression on countless students. His current work includes the development of a major Sefer focusing on the transformative power of prayer. In addition, Rabbi Waldman has expanded his reach through a blog and a YouTube channel, tackling topics such as Intelligent Design and offering thought-provoking critiques of the Theory of Evolution.
Rabbi Shmuel Waldman’s tireless efforts to educate and inspire continue to impact individuals and communities, solidifying his legacy as a devoted teacher and advocate for Jewish faith and thought.