Larvae of the Diptera, Wyeomyia smith/ii and Metriocnemus knabi, accelerate the breakdown of prey and the rate of ammonia production in leaves of Sarracenia purpurea L. The leaves take up ammonia and carbon dioxide rapidly and infuse oxygen into the water contained in them. Brighter light and higher temperature promote more rapid uptake of ammonia. Thus, under the brightest, warmest times of day, inquiline metabolism and respiration can produce increased substrates for photosynthetic carbon reduction and nitrogen incorporation. These same conditions promote an aerobic metabolite-free environment within the leaves. When the system goes anaerobic as a result of superabundant prey decomposition, photosynthetic bacteria predominate and fulfill the roles of the previous aerobic inhabitants.