Bromeliad
Guides
Copestylum comstocki
Comstock's Bromeliad Fly
Copestylum comstocki, commonly known as Comstock's bromeliad fly, is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae. The species is native to south-central North America. As a member of the genus Copestylum, it is associated with bromeliad plants, which serve as breeding sites. The larvae develop in the water-holding leaf axils of bromeliads, a habitat specialization characteristic of this genus. Adult flies are likely flower visitors like other syrphid species, though specific floral associations remain poorly documented.
Copestylum fraudulentum
Copestylum fraudulentum is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae. It belongs to a genus of bromeliad-associated flies primarily found in the Americas. The species was described by Samuel Wendell Williston in 1891. Like other members of Copestylum, adults are likely associated with flowers and may exhibit mimicry of bees or wasps, a common trait in the Syrphidae family. The larvae of related species are known to develop in bromeliad phytotelmata, though specific larval biology for C. fraudulentum has not been documented.
Copestylum haagii
Haag's bromeliad fly
Copestylum haagii, commonly known as Haag's bromeliad fly, is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae. It is found in western North America. The species is associated with bromeliad plants, as indicated by its common name. Adults are flower visitors.
Copestylum sexmaculatum
Six-spotted Bromeliad Fly
Copestylum sexmaculatum, commonly known as the six-spotted bromeliad fly, is a species of hoverfly in the family Syrphidae. The common name references its association with bromeliad plants, which serve as hosts for its larval development. As a member of the genus Copestylum, it belongs to a group of syrphid flies whose larvae are typically found in phytotelmata—water-holding structures of plants such as bromeliads. Adults are flower visitors and contribute to pollination. The species has been documented across a broad geographic range with numerous observations recorded.
Copestylum violaceum
purple bromeliad fly
Copestylum violaceum, commonly known as the purple bromeliad fly, is a species of syrphid fly in the family Syrphidae. The species is associated with bromeliad plants, as indicated by its common name. It belongs to a diverse genus of hoverflies found primarily in the Americas. The species was first described by Thomas Say in 1829.
Dryophthorinae
Dryophthorinae is a subfamily of weevils (Curculionidae) comprising approximately 1,200 species in 153 genera and ten tribes. The subfamily includes numerous economically significant agricultural pests, particularly of palms, bananas, rice, maize, sugarcane, and bromeliads. Many species are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, with several having achieved global distributions through international trade in ornamental and agricultural plants. The taxonomic status of Dryophthorinae remains contested; while traditionally treated as a subfamily, at least one major revision has elevated it to family rank as Dryophthoridae.
Metamasius mosieri
Florida bromeliad weevil
Metamasius mosieri is a small weevil in the family Dryophthoridae, commonly known as the Florida bromeliad weevil. It feeds on bromeliads but occurs at very low population densities in natural habitats and is considered only an occasional, minor pest on ornamental species. It is native to Florida and Cuba and is frequently confused with the more destructive Mexican bromeliad weevil (Metamasius callizona).
Wyeomyia
Wyeomyia is a genus of neotropical mosquitoes comprising approximately 140 species, first described by Frederick Vincent Theobald in 1901. The genus is taxonomically challenging due to high species diversity and incomplete delineation. Adults are diurnal and primarily forest-dwelling, with larvae developing in phytotelmata—water held by plants such as bromeliads, aroids, and pitcher plants. Most species feed on blood and will bite humans, though they are not confirmed vectors of human disease.