Red traps of Nepenthes sanguinea

A couple of sanguine beauties were sun tanning in the highland of Ulu Kali....

...attracted by their beauty and sweet nectar, daring pleasure seekers on high walk on the threshold of death ....

....unbeknownst to them, a couple of skinny dippers lying motionless at the bottom of the chalice had already paid their dues ....
Nepenthes sanguinea is a highland carnivore confined to Peninsula Malaysia and Thailand. Although reputed to be common by Charles Clarke, the intense colouration and large size (about 30cm tall) of the specimens still managed to capture our undivided attention. This species has extrafloral nectaries on the pitchers, which explain the accumulation of ants at the peristome. In some Nepenthes species, the nectar contained a substance that disorientate the ants which are observed to dance round and round the peristome. I tried to close in to see what the ants were feeding on and it appears to be either the sticky film or those white powdery stuff on the peristome. Surprisingly in our encounter, no ants were found inside the pitchers yet....just a fly and a harvestman.