Can a Plant Really Eat a Bug?
Meet the Venus flytrap and uncover why this extraordinary plant snaps shut on insects.
Read along
Most plants get nutrients from soil, but a Venus flytrap has a surprising trick. Its leaves form hinged traps with sensitive trigger hairs inside. When an insect touches the hairs twice within a short time, the trap snaps shut. That two-touch rule helps the plant avoid wasting energy on raindrops or falling leaves. The closed trap forms a seal and releases digestive juices that break down the insect's soft parts. The plant absorbs nutrients, especially nitrogen, then opens again after several days. It still makes energy from sunlight like other plants. Catching bugs simply helps it survive in the nutrient-poor wetlands where it naturally grows.
Inside the story
Scene by scene
Pause, look closer, and discover the science behind each part of the adventure.
Scene 0101
A leaf with teeth
“What looks like a little green mouth is really a pair of specially shaped leaves.”
The spikes around the edge are called cilia. They interlock when the trap closes and help keep larger prey from escaping.
Scene 0202
The two-touch test
“An insect brushes one trigger hair, then another. Snap! The trap closes in a fraction of a second.”
Two touches close together signal that a moving animal is probably present. This prevents many false alarms that would cost the plant energy.
Scene 0303
Sunlight still comes first
“The flytrap absorbs extra nutrients from its meal, then opens and waits for sunlight and another visitor.”
A Venus flytrap is carnivorous, but insects are not its energy source. Photosynthesis still supplies the sugars that power the plant.
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