Of course. plants cannot go hunting. But each of the insect-eating plants has a way of its own of catching insects.
The leaves of a sundew plant act like flypaper. They are about half as big around as pennies. On them there are hairs, and on the ends of the hairs there are drops of sticky liquid. Insects get caught in the liquid. Their bodies are digested by it. The sundew gets its name because the drops of sticky liquid sparkle in the sun like dew.
Venus' flytrap has clever traps at the ends of its leaves. Each trap is a section of leaf that folds in the middle. On each half there are three signal hairs. For an insect to touch one of these hairs is like pulling a trigger. The trap closes at once, holding the insect fast. There is little chance that the insect will get away. because teeth around the edge of the trap lock together like the fingers of two hands. Digestive juices from the plant work on the trapped insect. When the soft parts of the insect are digested, the trap opens. What is left of the insect falls out and the trap is reset.
Pitcher plants also have traps. Their leaves are shaped like vases or pitchers. They catch and hold rain water. The vases are sweet smelling and brightly colored. Inside they have hairs that point downward. Attracted by the sweet smell and bright color, an insect lands on the edge of a pitcher and starts down into it. The hairs seem to say, "This way, please." But the wall is so slick that the insect soon slips into the rain water at the bottom.
Butterwort leaves are a combination of "flypaper" and traps. There are little openings all over the leaves. When an insect touches a leaf, a sticky liquid comes out of the openings. It holds the insect while the edges of the leaf curl up into a trap.
Carnivorous plants are not common. They are found only in places where some of the materials green plants need for food-making are scarce.
