This type of forest is also known as a hammock. They are located primarily in the panhandle and central regions of Florida. In the northern part of the state, the hammocks have the greatest diversity of trees, shrubs and ferns per unit area than anywhere else in the United States. Ferns are also abundant in the northern hammocks, especially where moisture levels are high. The hammocks of the southern regions of Florida also have a great diversity of plant life including and orchids and epiphytic bromeliads. Many bromeliads have modified leaves and other structures that can hold water. Several types of insects are dependent on these structures for their survival and reproduction.
Click on these thumbnails of insects and arthropods for more information about each
Royal walnut moth (adult left, juvenile right)
Monarch butterfly
Trapdoor spider
American sand-burrowing mayfly
