Dionaea Muscipula

The dionaea muscipula is better known as the Venus flytrap. This is one of the more well-known carnivorous plants. The Venus flytrap is known for eating more than just flies, however. Venus flytraps no longer only grow in the areas they are native. The way a venus flytrap catches its prey is one of the most exciting things about it.

Like most carnivorous plants we see today, the Venus flytrap evolved from simple carnivorous plants that existed over 65 million years ago. This plant evolved from catching small, even microscopic prey to catching larger insects as the need for more nutrients grew. The behavior of the venus flytraps contradicts the belief that plants are passive creatures due to how it acts almost as an animal would, catching its own fresh food and living off of more than sunlight, water, and soil. The Venus flytrap is now even a popular house plant that many keep in a pot. It’s highly desirable for its interesting behavior and appearance.

The diet of the venus flytrap extends beyond flies. This plant has been known to trap not only flies but also grasshoppers, ants, beetles, spiders, almost any flying insect that will fit in its trap, and even small frogs have been found to fall victim to the Venus flytrap. About any living thing that is small enough to get stuck in their trap will be devoured and digested by the Venus flytrap. Actually, Venus flytraps can realistically live without trapping any animals, but they thrive with the nutrients they gain from their prey. The nutrients this plant particularly needs that it gets from prey typically are nitrogen and phosphorus, which are much easier to get from live animals. These nutrients are commonly found in the area where Venus flytraps are native, which is what caused them to evolve to trap, kill, and digest live food.

The Venus flytrap is known to be native only to the areas of North Carolina and South Carolina, particularly on the coastal plain of these. Now venus flytraps are sold commonly as house plants and can be found almost anywhere in the world. People love the venus flytrap for its attractive appearance and colors and, of course, for its carnivorous appetite. Many find them to be interesting plants to keep and also an excellent way to get rid of flying pests in the house. The Venus flytrap is the most common carnivorous plant in the world.

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One of the more interesting features of the Venus flytrap is how it catches its prey. The leaves inside of the trap itself produce a sweet-smelling nectar that attracts many different creatures but is almost irresistible to insects. The prey will land on the sticky nectar, and usually, even before the trap closes, the stickiness is enough to slow down the bug from getting away. It takes less than a second for the catch to close entirely and prevent the animal from escaping.