Venus flytrap

This plant is native to subtropical wetlands on the US East coast. It catches its prey — mainly insects and arachnids — using a trapping structure formed by the leaves that have hairs on their inner surfaces. When an insect touches a hair, the trap closes if a different hair is contacted within 20 seconds of the first strike. The requirement of redundant triggering in this mechanism serves as a safeguard against a waste of energy in trapping objects with no nutritional value.