Species Composition of Culicidae (Diptera) in Bromeliads in rural and urban areas of Londrina, Brazil

Author(s): Bianca Piraccini Silva, Adriano Nobre Arcos, Francisco Augusto da Silva Ferreira, Cristiano Medri, João Antonio Cyrino Zequi

Bromeliaceae has 82 genera and 3,719 species. Culicidae use phytotelma as a breeding ground. Research on the importance of bromeliads and reproduction of mosquitoes are controversial. Some studies indicate that these plants are potential breeding grounds for Aedes, while others suggest that they are not preferential foci for synanthropic mosquitoes, as is the case for Aedes aegypti. This work aimed at verifying the presence of Aedes and other Culicidae in native bromeliads in natural habitat and under ornamental cultivation in an urban environment, comparing the incidence of larvae in these possible breeding sites and contrasting with the luminosity and accumulated water volumes. Differences in species composition were observed between rural and urban environments. In the rural environment, four species of Culicidae were collected, the most abundant being Wyeomyia galvaoi - 19 specimens, followed by Culex (Microculex) imitator - five specimens, while Ae. aegypti and Toxorhynchites sp 1, were the least abundant, with two individuals each. In the urban environment, five species were found, with greater abundance of Ae. aegypti (461 individuals), followed by Aedes albopictus (45), Toxorhynchites sp. 01 (3), Wyeomyia sp1 (02), and Wyeomyia galvaoi (01). These phytotelma showed a great diversity of other organisms, such as mites, nematodes, protists, rotifers, ostracods, and insect larvae of the Chironomidae, Syrphidae, and Tachinidae families. The study that mosquito larvae in native bromeliads are generally rare, and their presence can be affected by factors like light and water volume. The significance of bromeliads in mosquito reproduction depends on various factors.