The Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches an digests animal prey (mostly insects and arachnids). The trapping structure is formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves. The plant's common name refers to Venus, the Roman goddess of love, whereas the genus name refers to Dione.Dionaea is a monotypic genus closely related to the waterwheel plant and sundews.