The genus Nepenthes, known as the tropical pitcher plant or monkey cup is in the family Nepenthaceae. It is the largest genus of pitcher plants with a distribution ranging from northern Australia throughout South-east  Asia to southern China . It comprises approxymately 160 species with the vast majority occurring in the Indonesian archipelago, Philippines, Borneo and Sumatra.

Nepenthes are carnivorous plants that have evolved leaf  extensions into jug shaped structures which contain a pool of digestive enzymes to attract, trap and digest various animal species.Depending on size and trap type, the composition of the prey ranges from protozoa up to small vertebrates, but the main part of the prey of carnivorous plants consists of insects.