DOI: 10.5061/dryad.h7s03
title: Data from: Trap colour of the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia does not serve a prey attraction or camouflage function.

description: The traps of many carnivorous plants are red in colour. This has been
 widely hypothesized to serve a prey attraction function; colour has also
 been hypothesized to function as camouflage, preventing prey avoidance. We
 tested these two hypotheses in situ for the carnivorous plant Drosera
 rotundifolia. We conducted three separate studies: (i) prey attraction to
 artificial traps to isolate the influence of colour; (ii) prey attraction
 to artificial traps on artificial backgrounds to control the degree of
 contrast and (iii) observation of prey capture by D. rotundifolia to
 determine the effects of colour on prey capture. Prey were not attracted
 to green traps and were deterred from red traps. There was no evidence
 that camouflaged traps caught more prey. For D. rotundifolia, there was a
 relationship between trap colour and prey capture. However, trap colour
 may be confounded with other leaf traits. Thus, we conclude that for D.
 rotundifolia, red trap colour does not serve a prey attraction or
 camouflage function.
description: Data from Drosera
 rotundifolia leavesThese data relate to
 measurements of the leaves of Drosera rotundifolia plants growing at
 Thorne Moor, Lincolnshire, UK. Prey were measured directly after removal
 from the leaf. Leaf colour data were collected electronically by analysis
 of digital photos. ‘Time’: date of measurement - 1=08/09/2012 2=15/09/2012
 3=22/09/2012. ‘Plant’: plant i.d. ‘LeafArea’: Leaf area (mm^2) based on
 measurement of the longest axis and the axis perpendicular to that. Area
 calculated assuming leaf is an ellipsoid. ‘PreyCt’: number of captured
 arthropod prey removed from the leaf. ‘PreyLth’: Length of captured
 arthropod prey. ‘PreyArea’: Number of arthropod prey per unit leaf area
 (prey mm^2). ‘TrapL*’: Trap/leaf L*. ‘Trapa*’: Trap/leaf a*. ‘Trapb*’:
 Trap/leaf b*. ‘BGL*’: Background L*. ‘BGa*’: Background a*. ‘BGb*’:
 Background b*Natural_summary.csvData from artificial traps placed on natural backgroundsThese data relate to measurements of captured arthropod ‘prey’ removed from different coloured artificial traps placed on the bog surface at Thorne Moor, Lincolnshire, UK. Each record relates to a single prey item. Prey were measured directly. Colour data are from electronic image analysis of digital photos. ‘Time’: date of removal of trap from bog (traps were in place for 7 days) - 1=08/09/2012 2=15/09/2012 3=22/09/2012. ‘Trap’: Trap i.d. TrpClr: Trap colour (Red, Green or transparent/clear). Length: length of prey item (mm). Width: width of prey item (mm). Order: Taxonomic order to which prey item belongs.Artificial_on_Natural.csvData from artificial traps placed on artificial backgroundsThese data relate to measurements of captured arthropod ‘prey’ removed from different coloured artificial traps placed on different coloured artificial ‘backgrounds’ at Thorne Moor, Lincolnshire, UK. Each record relates to a single prey item. ‘Time’: date of removal of trap from bog (traps were in place for 7 days) - 1=08/09/2012 2=15/09/2012 3=22/09/2012. ‘Trap’: trap i.d. TrpClr: Trap colour (Red or green). BGClr: Colour of artificial background (Red or Green). ‘Length’: Length of prey item. ‘Width’: Width of prey item. ‘Order’: Taxonomic order to which prey belongs.Artificial_Artificial.csvcolour data for artificial traps placed on natural backgroundsThese data relate to measurement of the colour of the artificial traps used in the ‘artificial traps on natural background’ part of the study. Each record related to measurement of the colour of a single trap and its background. Data were measured electronically using image analysis of digital photographs. ‘Trap’: trap i.d. (these relate directly to ‘trap’ in ‘Artificial_On_Natural’. Colour: Trap colour (red, green or clear). ‘TrapL*’: Trap L*. ‘Trapa*’: Trap a*. ‘Trapb*’: Trap b*. ‘BGL*’: background L*. 'BGa*’: Background a*. ‘BGb*’: Background b*. 'DeltaE76’: Delta E76 for difference between trap and background.A_on_N_Colour.csvColour data for artificial traps placed on artificial backgroundsThese data relate to measurement of the colour of the artificial traps and artificial backgrounds used in the ‘artificial traps on artificial background’ part of the study. Each record related to measurement of the colour of a single trap and its background. These traps are a sample created with used in the study, though these traps were not used in the study itself. Data were collected electronically using image analysis of digital photographs. ‘Trap’: Trap i.d. ‘TrpClr’: trap colour. ‘BGClr’: Background colour. ‘TrapL*’: Trap L*. ‘Trapa*’: Trap a*. ‘Trapb*’: Trap b*. ‘BGL*’: background L*. ‘BGa*’: Background a*. ‘BGb*’: Background b*. ‘DeltaE76’: Delta E76 for difference between trap and background.A_on_A_colour.csv