Venus Flytrap Skeletons
Unsurprisingly, Venus flytraps are not able to digest the hard exoskeletons of most bugs. Only the proteins and other digestable ’squishy’ bits of the bugs your traps catch (or are fed) are digested. Digestion of the ’squishy’ bits is catalysed by enzymes secreted by glands in the lobes of each trap. Most traps finish the digestion process within 10 days. After this they open back up, leaving the skeletal remains of the bug.
The number of bugs your traps can digest before dying depends on how healthy your flytrap is. As a general rule of thumb, most household Venus flytraps catch two to three bugs before turning black and dying, but if you keep your plant in tip-top condition, then they may be able catch many more.