An internet search revealed the fascinating way in which the Venus flytrap catches flies. There is a brilliant video from the BBC which explains it really well.
The inside of the leaves of the flytrap secrete a sweet nectar to attract insects. They also have a few trigger hairs. When the fly comes along to drink the tasty nectar it touches the trigger hairs. The trap won't shut if the fly only touches one of the hairs, the trap doesn't want to react to a false alarm, but if the fly touches two of the hairs, one after the other within a certain period of time, the trap snaps shut. The hairs that grow around the edges of the flytrap leaves are called cilia and these interlock together forming prison bars to stop the fly escaping.
After reading this, I was curious to know what killed the fly. Was it suffocated by the plant and then eaten? Or did the digestive juices get to it first - was it eaten alive?
http://www.livescience.com/15910-venus-flytrap-carnivorous.html
http://phys.org/news/2007-04-easy-oxygen-bug-life-full.html
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