The diagram compares how small and large Venus Flytrap species optimize the use of digestive enzymes to handle small prey.
Overall, the two Venus flytrap species share the same initial stages, both traps closing after being triggered by a small insect. The main difference is the final stage, where only the small trap digests the prey, while the large trap releases it to avoid wasting digestive enzymes.
Initially, both the small and large Venus flytraps follow the same process. Each plant has an open trap with trigger hairs on its inner surface. When a small insect touches the trigger hairs, the trap immediately snaps shut around the prey.
A clear difference can be seen in the last stage. While the small Venus flytrap releases digestive enzymes to digest the insect before absorbing its nutrients, the large species does not do so. Instead, it opens its trap again, letting the prey escape and conserving its digestive enzymes
