Nepenthebionts Nepenthebionts are animals which are specialised to live inside
Nepenthes pitchers and are totally dependent on them at least at some stage of their lives. Many species of
mosquito larvae fall into this category. Examples include
Culex rajah and
Toxorhynchites rajah, which are named after
Nepenthes rajah, as well as the related species
Culex jenseni and
Uranotaenia moultoni.
Nepenthephiles Nepenthephiles are organisms that are frequently found in
Nepenthes pitchers, but which are not completely dependent on them at any stage of their lives. Most animals that coexist with
Nepenthes fall into this category. Examples include
Henriksenia nepenthicola, a
crab spider that feeds on flies caught by
Nepenthes, and
Geosesarma malayanum, a species of
crab.
Nepenthexenes Nepenthexenes are animals which are not normally associated with pitchers, but which are occasionally encountered in them. These are usually found if a pitcher becomes overloaded with
putrefying prey, when it may be colonised by the larvae of various
fly species. These simply feed on rotting matter regardless of whether it is found in pitchers. ==Diversity==