Lizard-loving malaria mosquito Culex antillummagnorum (Diptera: Culicidae) following flowering herbs Heliconia caribaea across a tropical forest in Puerto Rico

Some species of mosquitoes oviposit in standing water sources, including plants that hold water termed phytotelmata. In the tropical rainforests of Puerto Rico, Culex antillummagnorum, a common mosquito on the island, is the likely vector of Plasmodium parasites in local Anolis lizard populations. In the forests this mosquito is most often found in the bracts of Heliconia caribaea, an herbaceous woody plant common in areas with sparse canopy cover, especially along rocky outcrops, near streams, and along roadsides. This species produces large inflorescences (racemes) made of individual flower-holding containers (bracts) colonized by Cx. antillummagnorum. Here, immature Cx. antillummagnorum were sampled from clusters of Heliconia plants around a 16 ha research plot. The number of individual mosquitoes was examined and compared with possibly influential factors like bract position, raceme size, the abundance of other species of macroinvertebrates, and the spatial distribution of plants. Adult female production estimates per bract were also quantified as an estimation of the importance of Heliconia as a contributor to the presence of this vector across the research plot. Understanding the varying environmental factors that affect the distribution and abundance of these mosquitoes may provide insight into adult Cx. antillummagnorum production and behavior, factors that in turn may provide important parameters about the lizard malaria disease system.