Shapeshifting in the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula): Morphological and biomechanical adaptations and the potential costs of a failed hunting cycle

Abstract

The evolutionary roots of carnivory in the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) stem from a defense response to plant injury caused by, e.g., herbivores. Dionaea muscipula aka. Darwin’s most wonderful plant underwent extensive modification of leaves into snap-traps specialized for prey capture. Even the tiny seedlings of the Venus flytrap already produce fully functional, millimeter-sized traps. The trap size increases as the plant matures, enabling capture of larger prey. The movement of snap-traps is very fast (~100–300 ms) and is actuated by a combination of changes in the hydrostatic pressure of the leaf tissue with the release of prestress (embedded energy), triggering a snap-through of the trap lobes. This instability phenomenon is facilitated by the double curvature of the trap lobes. In contrast, trap reopening is a slower process dependent on trap size and morphology, heavily reliant on turgor and/or cell growth. Once a prey item is caught, the trap reconfigures its shape, seals itself off and forms a digestive cavity allowing the plant to release an enzymatic cocktail to draw nutrition from its captive. Interestingly, a failed attempt to capture prey can come at a heavy cost: the trap can break during reopening, thus losing its functionality. In this mini-review, we provide a detailed account of morphological adaptations and biomechanical processes involved in the trap movement during D. muscipula hunting cycle, and discuss possible reasons for and consequences of trap breakage. We also provide a brief introduction to the biological aspects underlying plant motion and their evolutionary background.

Digital image correlation techniques for motion analysis and biomechanical characterization of plants

“…After triggering, the trap either reopens when there is no suitable prey inside, or undergoes a stomach formation for digestion of suitable prey (Durak et al, 2022a). In a follow-up study of the fast snapping investigations, Durak et al (2022b) analyzed the slow reopening of manually triggered (empty) traps, which takes several hours.…”

Interaksi Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) dengan Serangga Mangsa dan Serangga Polinator

“…Tumbuhan ini umumnya dikenal dengan sebutan Venus Flytrap. Dionaea muscipula memiliki gerakan thigmonastik yang sangat cepat dan berfungsi sebagai perangkap untuk mangsanya, yang kemudian dapat dicerna dan diserap oleh tumbuhan [5].…”

“…Gerakan ini diharapkan dapat diaplikasikan pada robot di masa depan yaitu dapat merespon dan beradaptasi secara mandiri di lingkungan seperti organisme hidup [19]. Mekanisme pembukaan dan penutupan daun jebakan juga banyak dirancang untuk diaplikasikan dalam biomimetik ke robot [5,20]. Tanaman ini perlu diteliti lebih lanjut untuk pengembangan robotik di masa depan.…”

Differences in the Occurrence of Cell Wall Components between Distinct Cell Types in Glands of Drosophyllum lusitanicum

“…Interest in this ecological group of plants has been growing since Darwin's time. Carnivorous plants are used as models for cytological, genomic, and physiological studies, e.g., [9][10][11][12].…”