In a Snap: Leaf geometry drives Venus flytrap’s bite

In a mere tenth of a second, without any muscles, a Venus flytrap’s jawlike leaves can imprison a hapless insect. Since the time of Charles Darwin, scientists have struggled to understand this feat.

OPEN AND SHUT CASE. Tickling the inner surfaces of an open Venus flytrap (top) causes mechanical tension to build in the leaves until they buckle and snap shut (bottom).