Triggering of Venus Flytrap With Nanosecond Spark Discharges

This article proposes a contactless method for triggering carnivorous plant Venus Flytrap traps with nanosecond spark discharges generated inside the trap leaflets. It is shown that the sequence of ~1 s of the spark discharges (5.5 kV, 400 A, 100 ns) causes reversible closing of the trap. It is shown that the most important factor of spark discharges is shock waves. This method could be used for the investigation of biomechanics and physiology of insectivorous plants.