Volume 13 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2025.1525202 Introduction: Phytotelmata are plant structures that collect and retain water Certain species of culicids utilize these water-holding structures for larval development playing a crucial role in water retention and nutriente cycling which benefits resident fauna in tropical forests This study aimed to characterize the taxonomic composition and abundance of mosquitoes within three types of phytotelmata in an Atlantic Forest remnant Methods: Monthly monitoring of mosquito populations was conducted over one year considering abiotic factors such as temperature which can influence mosquito larval growth and abundance Sampling occurred in selected phytotelm habitats along trails within the study area Results: A total of 2,672 culicid specimens were collected The most abundant species were Wyeomyia artrostigma Bamboo internodes yielded the highest abundance of specimens (67.4%) followed by bromeliads (30.7%) and buttress roots (1.9%) This distribution pattern may be due to the varying suitability of diferente phytotelmata as larval habitats with bamboo internodes providing more favorable environmental conditions for larval survival bamboo internodes had the highest species richness (22 species) and the largest total number of specimens highlighting this habitat’s importance for the development of many mosquito species showed the greatest diversity and evenness indicating a balanced species distribution within this habitat Kruskal-Wallis analysis revealed significant differences in species abundance among the types of phytotelmata evaluated suggesting that mosquito population composition and abundance are habitat-dependent Discussion: These results support the idea that different phytotelmata offer distinct ecological conditions influencing the occurrence and development of culicid populations Notable among the species collected were Aedes albopictus and Haemagogus leucocelaenus This study provides valuable insights into the mosquito fauna associated with phytotelmata in an Atlantic Forest remnant contributing to our understanding of the diversity and ecological dynamics of these environments Our findings also have public health implications demonstrating the presence of vector species in a natural habitat which could inform future research and disease control strategies Considering these factors when studying tropical ecosystems is essential to understanding the complexity of ecological relationships and the impacts of environmental change Climate change, physical aspects of water, and environmental degradation can enhance water availability in phytotelmata. Consequently, these factors can alter the habitat, attracting a variety of organisms that serve as food for mosquito immatures and affecting the diversity of mosquito species (Kitching, 2001) This trophic dynamic contributes to the structuring of the mosquito community, where different species compete or interact in ways that can influence their populations. The increase in mosquito diversity in these environments may have significant implications for public health, as many species not only cause discomfort to humans due to the hematophagous habits of females but also possess the ability to transmit pathogens (Gould and Higgs, 2008) Understanding the life cycles and habits of mosquitoes that develop in phytotelm habitats is crucial for the development of new tools and methods for monitoring and controlling these populations thereby contributing to the formulation of effective strategies for entomological and epidemiological surveillance research with this focus provides valuable insights into ecological interactions and population dynamics contributing significant insights to public health this study aimed to evaluate the potential of three types of phytotelmata as larval habitats for mosquitoes by comparing their diversity We also emphasized the temporal variability related to abiotic factors such as temperature and rainfall and their impact on the mosquito populations in a remnant of the Atlantic Forest Studies comparing the diversity of mosquito fauna in phytotelmata generally report a higher diversity index in bromeliad species This is attributed to their complex structures which create more favorable environmental conditions we can hypothesize that the faunal diversity associated with bromeliads surpasses that found in bamboo and buttress roots due to the specific characteristics of each type of phytotelmata and their varying capacities to support biological diversity and transport of zoological material was granted by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) and the System for Authorization and Information on Biodiversity (SISBIO) under License No Sampling location at the Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve (REGUA) The climate is warm, humid, and lacks a distinctly dry season, classified as type Af according to Köppen (1948) July is the month with the lowest average temperature and rainfall (17.9°C and 59.3 mm) while January and February experience the highest average temperatures (25.3°C) and rainfall (337.8 mm) with December and January as the wettest months A portion of the REGUA area is included within the Três Picos State Park and the remainder of the reserve is located in the park’s buffer zone The vegetation in REGUA is divided into two altitudinal zones: the Submontane Dense Ombrophilous Forest REGUA constitutes part of the central corridor of the Atlantic Forest connecting significant conservation units such as the Serra dos Órgãos National Park and the Paraíso State Ecological Station The collections were conducted monthly over two consecutive days Active searches for mosquito immatures were carried out along different trails in the sampling area inspecting the three most representative types of phytotelmata: bromeliads Mosquito larvae were sampled in phytotelmata habitats using an active collection method involving the targeted search for larval habitats based on water availability in the selected environments Ten bamboo plants were selected and artificially perforated using a 12V 1.5Ah lithium battery-powered drill with an 11x150 mm wood bit 40 bromeliad plants were chosen and periodically examined—always the same plants—to collect mosquito immatures whenever water was present in the phytotelmata a single site within the sampling area was identified where mosquito immatures were collected over 12 months The analysis of three specific types of phytotelmata enables a more controlled and detailed study, ensuring that habitat comparisons are both direct and meaningful. To ensure clarity and objectivity, a subset of phytotelmata was chosen based on prior studies or the characteristics of the local environment, focusing on those deemed most relevant or accessible (Alencar et al., 2016) Sampling was intentionally limited to a smaller number of phytotelmata to control variables better and reduce the influence of unknown or poorly understood factors that might affect the results It is worth noting that not all phytotelmata are equally suitable for all mosquito species; some may possess characteristics that make them less favorable as larval habitats This methodological approach aimed to understand the interaction between these plant species and the occurrence of mosquito immatures in early developmental stages thereby providing insights into the local ecology and the dynamics of infestation by these insects The sampling was conducted using polyethylene pipettes The immatures and pupae were pipetted and transferred to 250 ml plastic bags (Whirl-Pak® bags along with water from the phytotelmata to the laboratory the immatures were kept in white polyethylene basins filled with water from the original collection site which was supplemented with dechlorinated water the pupae were transferred to small containers and maintained until they reached the adult stage The identification of mosquito species was based on direct observation of morphological characteristics, utilizing both stereomicroscopy and optical microscopy. Identification keys from Lane (1953), Consoli and de Oliveira (1994), and Forattini (2002) were used supplemented by consultations of species descriptions and diagnostic characteristics Specimens were subsequently deposited in the Entomological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute cataloged as the “Atlantic Forest Collection.” a value of 1 represents the most abundant species Rarefaction curves, used to observe the trend of species richness with sample size, were generated as a function of the frequency of captured individuals. A rank-abundance curve was applied to characterize the community profile in each studied environment, utilizing the software Past 3.16 (Shannon, 1948) species are ranked according to their abundances allowing the assessment of patterns among dominant thereby aiding in understanding community structure was used to assess significant differences among mosquito populations across the different phytotelmata using IBM® SPSS® Statistics Version 23 Dunn’s post-hoc test was applied to identify which breeding sites differed from each other was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient with confidence levels of 95% and 99% also in IBM® SPSS® Statistics Version 23 and Pielou’s evenness) for mosquito immatures by breeding site (bamboo internodes and buttress roots) at the Guapiaçu Biological Reserve – REGUA Abundance index of species captured at the Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve – REGUA indicating the standardized index of species abundance (SISA) and species’ rank (Cf) in different larval habitats The bamboo internodes had the highest species richness (S = 22) and the largest number of collected specimens (N = 1,704) the greatest diversity and evenness (a more balanced distribution of individuals per species with less dominance of certain species) were observed in buttress roots (H’ = 1.098 and J = 0.6013) bamboo internodes displayed the lowest diversity and evenness This was due to the dominance of a few species which accounted for 73.9% of collected specimens A t-test was conducted to assess differences in diversity across the larval habitats Results indicated no statistically significant differences in diversity (H’) among bamboo internodes and buttress roots at the 5% significance level Abundance rank curves were created for the three habitats (bamboo internodes, bromeliads, and buttress roots), as shown in Figure 2 A marked predominance of a few species with high frequency was observed compared to most species with low abundance particularly in the bamboo and bromeliad habitats where the steep curves indicate communities with high dominance the abundance distribution in buttress roots was more even reflecting a higher alpha diversity for this habitat Species abundance rank curves for bamboo internodes The Y-axis represents the relative abundance When evaluating mosquito populations in each larval habitat the Kruskal-Wallis test indicated significant differences between the phytotelmata (p = 0.000) The Dunn post-test was used to identify which habitats showed significant differences from each other (p < 0.05) revealing that populations in bamboo internodes differed from those in buttress roots (p = 0.000) Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the abundance of culicids (species with significant correlations) and the abiotic factors—water temperature and rainfall—from March 2013 to February 2024 with 99% (**) and 95% (*) confidence levels Monthly frequency of the seven most abundant mosquito species and total sum recorded in REGUA including both natural and artificial environments considering the total number of specimens and species that showed correlation with abiotic factors in the bamboo internode phytotelm larval habitat considering the total number of specimens in the tree root phytotelm larval habitat Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve – REGUA The species with the highest population density were found in greater numbers during the rainy months, corroborating the observations of Consoli and de Oliveira (1994) who stated that the rainy season provides favorable environmental and climatic conditions for mosquito proliferation and higher water levels in larval habitats it is expected that a higher volume of water will be present in larval habitats during this period resulting in greater nutrient transport due to the increased water flow albicosta showed a positive correlation with rainfall arthrostigma (50.3%) was more abundant during the dry months This effect can be explained by the lower competitiveness during the dry period as other species were present in smaller numbers Bamboo internodes had the highest abundance of mosquitoes, followed by bromeliads. These habitats may serve as nutrient reservoirs for mosquito immatures during unfavorable climatic periods, such as the dry season, which could explain the higher number of specimens found (Macdonald and Traub, 1960). da Silva et al. (2007) emphasized that larval habitats like bromeliads offer advantages for ecological studies in tropical regions such as investigations into community structures conducting studies in the same sampling area reported a greater diversity of larval habitats but found no Haemagogus species This discrepancy may indicate an ecological specialization of Hg suggesting that this species may prefer or be better adapted to certain habitat conditions the diversity of microhabitats and the environmental conditions present at the sampled locations are key determinants for the occurrence and distribution of these species highlighting the importance of a detailed approach when investigating the biodiversity and ecological interactions of mosquitoes analyzing diverse habitats and considering local environmental conditions are essential to better understanding the dynamics of mosquito populations and their potential interactions with pathogen transmission reported a reduced number of specimens from this genus indicating some tolerance to variations regarding this abiotic factor which tend to lay eggs in tree holes and other types of phytotelmata The selection of these larval habitats can be influenced by abiotic factors such as temperature, water quality, resource availability, predator presence, and habitat persistence. These factors, along with rainfall, can affect immature mosquitoes’ development, growth, and survival (Clements, 1992). Alencar et al. (2016) found that Wyeomyia edwardsi was recorded exclusively in bromeliads supporting the hypothesis that the species’ larval habitat at REGUA shows a lack of variability in oviposition site selection arthrostigma was the only species of the genus present in all three types of larval habitats demonstrating its ability to adapt to different environmental conditions studying mosquitoes in a remnant of the Atlantic Forest found the highest abundance in bamboo internodes during August and September These results support the hypothesis that seasonal fluctuations in mosquito abundance are influenced by complex interactions between biotic and abiotic factors the differences observed in these studies may be linked to factors such as fauna composition and regional climate variations the highest abundance was recorded in July the availability of water and organic matter determines the viability of the culicid life cycle mollis was encountered in all types of phytotelmata evaluated demonstrating physiological and behavioral traits that allow it to exploit diverse habitats During the dry period, typical of the winter months (June, July, and August), Cx. pleuristriatus and Cx. retrosus were not detected. It is important to note that mosquitoes are highly adaptable and sensitive to changes in their environment, and species may experience shifts in their distribution and abundance over time, depending on the factors mentioned above (Juliano, 2009) Our study on mosquitoes utilizing phytotelm habitats for their development revealed distribution and abundance patterns of species Bamboo internodes were the larval habitats with the highest number of specimens This distribution pattern reflects the environmental suitability of different phytotelmata for mosquito larval development with bamboo internodes being the most favorable likely due to their higher water retention capacity and environmental stability The highest species richness was observed in bamboo internodes (N=22) reinforcing the importance of this habitat as a primary development site for most of the species present buttress roots exhibited the greatest diversity and evenness suggesting that this environment offers more balanced conditions for the coexistence of different mosquito species These results highlight the importance of considering the diversity of phytotelmata when studying the ecology of culicid populations as each type provides specific resources that affect species survival and reproductive success Our research emphasizes the ecological complexity of phytotelmata and their relevance to biodiversity providing valuable insights for monitoring mosquito vectors of pathogens in tropical areas such as the Atlantic Forest The REGUA is an important protected environmental area attracting visitors from around the world due to its biodiversity and the ecological significance of its ecosystems underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and its implications for public health risks These species play key roles in pathogen transmission making the study of their population dynamics and the impact of environmental variations essential The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author The manuscript presents research on animals that do not require ethical approval for their study The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research I declare that all sources of funding received for the research have been submitted This work was carried out with the support of CNPq as well as Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Grant number: 303286/2021-0 JA) and Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (E-26/200.956/2002/2022 The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The author(s) declare that no Generative AI was used in the creation of this manuscript All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fevo.2025.1525202/full#supplementary-material Culicidae community composition and temporal dynamics in Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve Biodiversity and temporal distribution of immature culicidae in the atlantic forest Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 10 Google Scholar Bionomy of mosquitoes in bamboo internodes in an atlantic forest remnant of the state of rio de janeiro Life-historical consequences of density-dependent selection in the pitcher-plant mosquito Crossref Full Text | Google Scholar Mosquitoes in bromeliads at ground level of the Brazilian atlantic forest: the relationship between mosquito fauna Ceretti-Júnior W. 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This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Jeronimo Alencar, amFsZW5jYXJAaW9jLmZpb2NydXouYnI= Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish green water reflecting the backdrop of forest-clad mountains Nicholas Locke told of the time when this flourishing wetland was once a barren pasture after being drained much of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest has suffered a similar fate this wetland has been transformed thanks to Locke’s relentless restoration efforts to rewild one of Brazil’s most important biomes caimans can be seen peering through clusters of reeds while great egrets nest in waterside canopies “The birds came back,” Locke told Mongabay while walking in the area The wetland is part of 12,000 hectares (29,652 acres) of primary and restored Atlantic Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, protected by Locke’s nonprofit Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve (Regua) the area now supports 487 types of birds and hundreds of tree species after 750,000 trees were replanted in the last two decades Many of Brazil’s urban areas now lay on top of what once was the Atlantic Forest Despite its depletion, the Atlantic Forest remains an area of high endemism and is a global conservation priority region “It’s a biodiversity hotspot,” Thiago Belote “It’s also important for people — several sectors of the Brazilian economy depend on the ecosystem services produced there.” The most important steps to protect the Atlantic Forest are to slash greenhouse emissions and cease primary forest deforestation “The first priority is that we should be protecting what’s already there,” Karen Holl professor of environmental studies at the University of California But restoration is a solution to help rebuild what’s already been lost and encourage natural regeneration “Restoration in the Atlantic Forest is fundamental because it’s already been degraded even more so than the Amazon,” Ricardo Rodrigues an ecologist at the University of São Paulo Since 2009, communities and NGOs have united to restore 15 million hectares (37 million acres) of native Atlantic Forest in a coalition known as the Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact, recognized by the United Nations in December as one of 10 World Restoration Flagship Initiatives More than 300 signatory organizations support the Pact created Regua when they decided to transform their farm back to its original forested state They aim to preserve this once fragmented area while raising awareness of the importance of conservation through ecotourism in their reserve and local community education “The fruit of this restoration is the tapir reintroduction program,” Locke said Their reserve supports the reintroduction of the largest land mammal in South America previously extinct in Rio de Janeiro for 100 years with plans to increase the population to 50 The region is also within the Guapiaçu watershed, one of the most important river basins in northern Rio, ensuring clean water for 2.5 million people who are vulnerable to unstable water security connects existing forest fragments and contributes to water security for the watershed’s downstream population.” Regua has so far purchased 110 surrounding properties that no longer have any agricultural potential “There is a consensus that the best way to protect land is through purchasing,” Locke said “We have received enormous support from around the world in our endeavors to secure these properties to protect forests and biodiversity.” Experts say that a long-term commitment is important to the success of restoration projects and purchasing land is one way of achieving this this project [Regua] looks good because they’re making sure there is secure ownership,” Holl said wandered through rows of seedlings planted tightly together in pots and tucked into soil-filled tubes before the seedlings are replanted in land designated for restoration “There are 120 native species here at the moment,” she told Mongabay “Almost all the seeds are gathered from the nearby mature forests.” Up to 90% are collected from the forests in the surrounding mountains The rest are brought in by state-owned nurseries It costs on average between $5,000 and $6,000 per hectare for restoration “The downside is that a project of this magnitude takes years and requires extensive support to establish,” Raquel Locke said costs go down and ecoservice payments along with tourism keep it going.” For restoration efforts to be successful, they must provide value to local communities, experts say. More than 70% of Brazilians live in an Atlantic Forest region and depend on the biome’s environmental services to maintain air quality and supply energy and water Regua works with local schools to provide weekly environmental education activities to emphasize the importance of conserving their forests and protecting the water supply They also welcome local and global universities as well as visiting researchers to go there to help study the species of the Guapiaçu watershed “This helps involve the community and better understand the wildlife in the region,” Locke said Data from research collective MapBiomas shows forest cover has remained stable between 1985 and 2020 after years of high deforestation the apparent stability hides the loss of mature forests versus the regeneration of young forests the loss of primary vegetation was 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) whereas the area of secondary vegetation gained 9 million hectares (22.2 million acres) Complementing conservation of the primary forests with restoration efforts is fundamental, experts say. With 80% of the Atlantic Forest in private hands play a huge role in the future of the forest In the garden just outside the Regua visitor center is the belvedere Locke looked out across the bustling canopies and the Serra do Mar mountains “We want to raise awareness of why this forest is precious,” he added as a chorus of birds whooped and whistled in the background Banner image: A lowland tapir with its calf. Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve reintroduced the lowland tapir to Rio de Janeiro for the first time in 100 years. Image by Nick Athanas via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post Natural regeneration and women-led initiatives help drive Atlantic Forest Pact The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa as protected areas become battlegrounds over history and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins and trying to forge a path forward […] The National Biodiversity Commission (Conabio) has established national biodiversity targets for the period 2025 to 2030 and has recommended that the Brazilian government adopt the measures that will form part of the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP) The document is part of the country's obligations as a signatory of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) A total of 23 goals have been set to promote the regeneration of Brazil's biomes The first goal focuses on reducing biodiversity loss and is divided into two key components One addresses spatial planning and participatory management of the entire national territory considering climate change and land-use changes The other sets a target of achieving zero deforestation in the country and management; promoting and expanding sustainable trade; preventing species extinctions and genetic diversity loss; and reducing invasive alien species and pollution National policy also includes goals related to access to and the sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources and digital genetic sequence information This issue was a major point of contention at the 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) held in October 2024 in Cali The lack of consensus in the negotiations prompted a second round of discussions The 196 GBF signatory countries are expected to advance in presenting their action plans Other goals presented by Conabio reflect Brazil's stance on key obstacles in the negotiations including the effectiveness of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) Managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) the fund serves as a financing mechanism to help less developed countries strengthen their biodiversity protection policies One of Brazil's goals is to boost funding for the implementation of the NBSAP and its state versions aiming to increase biodiversity-related resources substantially and in proportion to the national GDP This effort contributes to the global target of at least $200 billion per year by 2030 The measure also explores ways to complement public funding including incentives for private sector engagement in strengthening ecosystem protection and supporting traditional communities expected to gain traction in the Rome discussions include eliminating subsidies harmful to biodiversity and promoting training and technology transfer for the conservation The Atlantic Forest has a new species of fruit tree The newly-discovered Eugenia guapiassuana was so named by the researchers in reference to the locality of Guapiaçu in the municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu an employee of the Guapiaçu Ecological Reserve (REGUA) It is a large tree that is notable for its large in contrast to other species of the Eugenia genus one of the richest genera of Brazilian flora Due to its close relationship with Eugenia involucrata a native fruit tree popularly known as the Rio Grande cherry Eugenia guapiassuana has been given the popular name of guapiaçu cherry meaning that it loses its leaves completely at flowering time as it can be recognized from a distance by its showy pink crown Its fruits are bright red in color and have juicy orange flesh which is very aromatic and has a slightly acidic taste the species faces a critical risk of extinction due to its rarity and the degradation of its habitat mainly due to agricultural activities and urban sprawl The article in which the species is described was published in the Kew Bulletin an important scientific journal in the field of Botany and is the result of a collaboration between researchers from the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro the Federal University of Ceará and Sítio E-Jardim The work received technical and logistical support from REGUA Access the original article.