Venus flytrap, (Dionaea muscipula) is a perennial carnivorous plant of the sundew family (Droseraceae), known for its unusual habit of catching and digesting insects and other small animals with its snappy traps. The generic epithet honors the Greek goddess Dione and the specific epithet of this plant is derived from the Latin mus (Mouse) and cipula (Trap). The name Dionaea muscipula was first coined by Daniel Solander after he dissected a specimen. However, John Ellis named the plant Venus Flytrap in his botanical description.