A Detailed View From Above Of A Wet Bromeliad. Royalty-Free Stock Photography

Bromeliads often serve as phytotelmata, accumulating water between their leaves. The aquatic habitat created as a result is host to a diverse array of invertebrates, especially aquatic insect larvae. These bromeliad invertebrates benefit their hosts by increasing nitrogen uptake into the plant. A wide variety of organisms takes advantage of the pools of water trapped by bromeliads. A study of 209 plants from the Ecuadorian lowlands identified 11,219 animals, representing more than 300 distinct species, many of which are found only on bromeliads. -Wikipedia.com and `Pineapple Dreams`, The Wild Side, Olivia Judson, The New York Times, March 18, 2008