Venus Flytrap Eats Wasps || ViralHog

Occurred on September 2020 / Germany

During the summer months of the last few years I have been observing, photographing and filming social wasps in my garden in Dohr (located in the Eifel region) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. As a nature photographer and filmmaker, these insects are very productive for me. I observed and arranged numerous hours until the animals got used to me (and I got used to them) and then I managed to take extraordinary pictures.

There is a flower bed in my garden with carnivorous plants. I noticed several times that the Venus flytraps had also caught wasps. Venus flytraps are extraordinary plants whose trap-leaves (which are strongly red when exposed to sunlight) with the red color and the liquid excreted by nectarines attract prey. There are feeler bristles on the inside of the leaf. If one or more potential prey is touched twice within 20 seconds, the leaf collapses suddenly with a release speed of up to 100 milliseconds. With a speed of 6-20 cm / second, this is one of the fastest movements in the plant kingdom. The prey is caught and digested, leaving behind the indigestible chitin shell after a few days.

I really wanted to film this and I experimented for a long time until I got these extraordinary shots. I actually wanted to take slow-motion pictures, but that was the wrong way to go. Because it is precisely the quick closing of the catching leaves of the Venus flytrap that is so impressive. Many people who are often bothered by wasps or, if they are allergic, also feel threatened, feel satisfaction and strong sympathy for the Venus flytrap when they watch these scenes.

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[platinumtaterbug]

Can’t help but admit I was rooting for the Venus fly traps the entire time.

[HyperfixationWizard]

As someone who was stung by an entire hive of wasps as a kid, seeing that last wasp and knowing it's going to be *dissolved* in *half* gives me a wicked kind of satisfaction.

[Sueberry]

I'm a bit scared of both bees and wasps, but I find that I feel sad when a bee dies and pretty much nothing when a wasp dies.

[LMakaCobra]

Honestly I was annoyed at how long it took for a wasp to get caught. But wow, these plants are amazing

[MountainMan.]

Very satisfying to know once a wasp gets trapped, they're in there stinging the plant over and over but it doesn't bother it one bit. Love it, love it.

[samday]

Clearly we need to work on hybridising these plants.
Their patience - outstanding
Their success rate - appalling.

[FllnThBlanks]

Normally I feel a little bit of remorse for bugs that get nicked but after the trauma I ended up with being stung by wasps. It's hard man.

[jasonea]

Anyone else here rooting for the venus fly trap? Wasps are right up there with mosquitoes as the most hated insects imo.

[radiantcharisma]

2:09 Gotta respect the save right there!

[Agui]

I was amazed how many wasps escaped the traps as the traps close pretty fast!

[julianneedsblood]

Beautiful. They know what is happening and try to avoid getting caught but sometimes there is too much gold they can't help themselves.

[GamingWithRicky_Roblox]

2:50 respect that wasp for trying to help the other wasp

[vnm_dx]

Let's be honest. We searched for that

[glennbrymer]

As a west Texas boy growing up in the 1950s, I learned about wasp early! I was rooting for the plants.
I just went to a show here in Old Town Spring Texas that was put on by the local fly trap plant people. Some of them are very big and beautiful.

[imaspecofdust]

As a headphone user, the buzzing makes me feel very uncomfortable

[louf]

I appreciate the misses. It suggests how difficult a catch must be.

[squaddegenerate]

2:30 is when something actually gets caught

[KarX]

Imagine the disappointment the plants must feel when the bug flies away the moment it closes it's trap. Equivalent to humans it's like a bowl of food flying away right in front of us

[FatYoshi]

let's be honest if anyone feels bad for the wasps i think they need help

[hanajak]

It's like the wasps were playing. Nice seeing them get what they deserve 😊