found at the apex of red mangroves and in areas of limited shade. One of the major reasons this species is restricted to the neotropics is because the phytotelmata are limited to humid environments. This is because the plant does not have enough energy available to make up for the excessive evaporation that occurs in very dry climates. Microhabitat Phytotelmata of Catopsis berteroniana serve as homes for many organisms, called inquilines. Many types of larvae develop in this medium. This is a very interesting feature because the major function of phytotelmata is to catch prey, not to support life forms. According to Adlassnig, Peroutka & Lendl, 2010, this plant hosts 11 inquiline species. Wyeomyia mitchellii is a species of mosquito that develops in the medium of the phytotelmata. It takes about 2 weeks for the larvae to fully develop. Once they develop, the mosquitoes can escape from the plant without getting trapped by the powder. Mutualism occurs between Catopsis berteroniana and these larvae: the plant provides a habitat for the larvae while the larvae help break down nitrogenous nutrients for faster absorption by the plant. There are also parasitic relationships that affect the bromeliad. Metamasius callizona, a weevil, will feed on the meristematic tissue of the Catopsis species, which will inevitably kill the plant. Other organisms that use phytotelmata as a home are algae. These organisms are essential to the plant itself. There is an entire food web within the phytotelmata: through anemophilous nutrition, the plant obtains its nutrients from the wind. Algae use these nutrients to grow and then become a food source for other organisms. Sunlight is a major factor that determines algal growth within the tanks: an increase in transmitted light results in an increase in algal growth. It shapes the entire food web because algae make up 30% of the living carbon within the bromeliad tanks located in an area with a high amount of sunlight. Carnivory Trapping prey is the main mechanism for obtaining nutrients for Catopsis berteroniana. This species uses a passive trap, called a tank, to trap and digest the target. Because this species is insectivorous, the typical prey that get trapped are insects. The purpose of these traps is to obtain inorganic nutrients from the degradation of insects, most commonly nitrogen and phosphorus. This species is an epiphyte, so most of the insects that get caught in the trap are winged insects.