EXOTIC TANK BROMELIADS HARBORING IMMATURE AEDES-ALBOPICTUS AND AEDES BAHAMENSIS (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE) IN FLORIDA

Water impounded by the leaves of ground-dwelling, exotic tank bromelia ds was sampled for immature mosquitoes at eight sites in Florida. At t wo north Florida sites, where Wyeomyia mosquitoes were absent, more th an 50 percent of the water-holding plant contained immature Aedes albo pictus (Skuse). The frequency of plant with Ae, albopictus was signifi cantly lower at sites where Wyeomyia spp. were commonly found. General ly, the mean number of Ae. albopictus per plant was also lower at site s with Wyeomyia when compared to sites lacking these mosquitoes. Immat ure Aedes bahamensis Berlin occurred much more frequently than immatur e Aedes aegypti (L.) in samples from the bromeliads at a site near Hom estead, FL. Here, Wyeomyia mosquitoes were collected from about 75 per cent of the plants and the frequency of plants with Ae. bahamensis was only slightly lower, at about 55 percent. Both Ae. albopictus and Ae. bahamensis show a much greater propensity for inhabiting aquatic syst ems associated with tank bromeliads in Florida than does Ae. aegypti. Yet, even for Ae. albopictus and Ae. bahamensis, these phytotelm habit ats appear to he secondary compared to those provided by artificial co ntainers.