Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Bromeliads provide a unique habitat for many insect species, including immature forms of mosquitoes. This study investigates the effect of abiotic factors, specifically temperature, rainfall, water volume, and physicochemical parameters, on the occurrence and abundance of mosquitoes developing in bromeliads within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Larval samples and abiotic parameters were collected from nine bromeliads between 2015 and 2017 in a forest remnant in São Paulo, Brazil. Relationships between variables were tested using generalized linear mixed-effects models and structural equation modeling. Results indicate that rainfall and temperature influence the water volume of bromeliad tanks, which in turn affect physicochemical parameters, particularly pH. These variations affect the richness, abundance, and occurrence of mosquito species, including the vector of malaria parasites, Anopheles cruzii. The study highlights a cascade effect where abiotic factors alter the microhabitat conditions, thereby affecting mosquito populations. Understanding these interactions is crucial for predicting the impacts of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases in tropical regions.
Source: Scientific Reports
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,690
Awards: G1406452062, G3572101131, G425542240, Biodiversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Parque Estadual da Cantareira, and in the Environmental Protection Area Capivari-Monos, State of São Paulo, Investigation of the climatic and landscape variations effects on the vectors and on the spatial and temporal dynamics of sylvatic yellow fever and autochthonous malaria in fragments of the Atlantic Forest in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, G6245559206
OpenAlex ID: W4413305142