Bromelicolous Habit and Phoresy of Ostracoda in a Species of Treefrog From the Brazilian Cerrado

ABSTRACT Some plants develop phytotelmata, specialized structures that retain water and form small aquatic ecosystems harbouring diverse organisms. Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae) are classic examples, as their leaf axils provide suitable habitats for bacteria, algae, protozoa, invertebrates and vertebrates, including anurans. Frogs associated with bromeliads are classified as bromelicolous when they use these plants occasionally, or bromeligenous when they complete their life cycle within them. Such associations may facilitate dispersal mechanisms, including phoresy, in which organisms are passively transported by animals. During a herpetological expedition in Mucugê Municipal Park, Bahia, individuals of Scinax montivagus were observed carrying ostracods of the genus Elpidium . This constitutes the first record of phoresy for this anuran and evidence of its association with bromeliads. Although frogs were collected near a water body, the presence of Hohenbergia caatingae bromeliads nearby strongly suggests that ostracods were transported from these plants. This finding expands current knowledge of bromeliad–vertebrate interactions, particularly regarding ostracod dispersal by frogs, previously documented only in the Atlantic Forest and now also recorded in the Cerrado. It further raises the hypothesis that frogs may mediate ostracod dispersal not only among bromeliads but also into other aquatic habitats, potentially contributing to colonization across heterogeneous landscapes. Our results highlight the ecological complexity and functional importance of bromeliad‐associated systems, emphasizing the role of dispersal in population dynamics and habitat connectivity, and underscore the need for further studies on these multi‐species interactions and their implications for Neotropical biodiversity conservation.