How do carnivorous plants obtain energy if they trap insects for nutrients?

It is a common misconception that carnivorous plants "eat" insects for energy. In reality, like nearly all other plants, carnivorous species are photosynthetic organisms that manufacture their own food—sugars—using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide in the presence of chlorophyll.12

Carnivorous plants, including those within the order Caryophyllales, trap and digest insects and other small animals primarily to obtain nitrogen and other essential nutrients. These plants typically inhabit marginal or hostile environments, such as bogs and nutrient-poor soils, where such minerals are scarce or unavailable to their roots. By capturing prey, these plants augment their diet, allowing them to thrive in ecological niches that are challenging for other plant species.12