Mosquitoes breeding in phytotelmata in native forests in the Wellington region, New Zealand
This study assessed the level of utilization by mosquitoes of the available phytotelm habitats in indigenous forests in the Wellington region (New Zealand). The native epiphyte Collospermum hastatum was found to be the most abundant source of larval mosquito habitats in local native forests, but no mosquito larvae were recorded in the plants’ leaf axils. Apart from these epiphytes, the local forests were found to have few natural breeding containers, and the only other relevant type of phytotelm habitat for mosquitoes was tree holes.