Can This Armoured Bug Outsmart My Strongest Venus Flytrap?

Added: 2026-05-05

[00:00:00]Today we have a strange creature in my Venus fly trap room. This is called a dock bug. And in this video, there are multiple captures, escapes, and even a long time lapse at the end.

[00:00:15]I find this bug wandering across my traps. This is a very healthy plant, and there are loads of waiting open traps.

[00:00:24]It crawls across somehow avoiding them.

[00:00:27]But it has just got to get caught on such a big plant. But as I'm filming this, I actually notice a strange fly.

[00:00:34]You may have spotted it earlier in the video. Let's have a look. I've never seen anything like this before. It's almost like a rainbow. Seems to be half alive and stuck on a trap.

[00:00:45]But anyway, let's continue with the battle of the dock bug.

[00:00:54]The bug hovers precariously on the teeth of a trap, giving me chance to zoom in and have another look at the strange armored creature. And this armor offers a lot of protection from above. However, it is softbodied underneath. And this would allow the digestive fluids to get in, break the insect down, and eat it successfully. If only it can enter a trap. But then suddenly it takes flight, landing straight on an open trap which snaps shut.

[00:01:25]Unfortunately for the plant, this is a bit of a weak capture only just captures the legs and the back end and this powerful bug quickly escapes. But then it goes over more and more traps and surely one must be able to get it soon. But once again, it takes flight, landing on a different plant. One with much larger traps and far more powerful.

[00:01:49]And clearly attracted by the colors, it straight into an open trap, which snaps shut. And let's see that from some different angles.

[00:02:03]Now, this is truly the moment this insect can decide its fate.

[00:02:09]half sticking out the trap. It can either move deeper within and be caught forever, or it can escape.

[00:02:16]It thinks, it reacts, and it slowly starts to manage, making its way free. But can it fully escape this trap? And what will happen afterwards? Because it's still deep within my collection of plants, and there's not much room for escape.

[00:02:35]Eventually, it starts working its way free, but his legs are still caught.

[00:02:40]Ultimately, this will end up destroying this individual trap and also the insect and be a pointless capture because even if the plant could digest just the legs, it would offer very little nutrients.

[00:02:53]So, I decide to do what I rarely do and intervene whilst I still can. And I very gently prize the teeth apart, just allowing the insect's legs to be free.

[00:03:06]This trap will now simply open back up without running through the digestive cycle. And the insect has a second chance.

[00:03:14]But as I said, it's deep within a powerful plant and it will make a mistake. And I just know one of these large traps must be able to catch it. Let's see what happens.

[00:03:37]The insect could have taken flight, but instead it gets fully captured by one of the biggest traps on the plant. The teeth are now a prison. And the trap detecting the prey and detecting the movement on those trigger hairs creates a response from the plant and it will decide to seal shut and begin the digestion process.

[00:04:01]As you can see, some of the teeth are bent and gnarled, but that will make no difference because those teeth will fold back outwards eventually. As you'll see soon in the video, the insect still tries desperately within the plant to escape, moving around, and I take a close look.

[00:04:22]But there's no way even a powerful bug like this can escape.

[00:04:27]Anyway, it's time to switch to a time lapse and have a look what's happens over the next few hours.

[00:04:35]You can occasionally see the insect moving around inside, but then you can also see the juices just on the edge of the trap, which mean this trap will seal, making this the perfect meal for a Venus fly trap. I hope you enjoyed the video, but let me know in the comments if you would like to see what happens on these videos after digestion.

[00:04:56]Mr. An achy landscaper.