The TNP has unique characteristics compared to other federal conservation units. Besides protecting fragments of the Atlantic Forest with high biological diversity and keeping them in good conservation status, it houses exuberant natural areas. It is one of the largest urban forests in the world, with its peculiarity lying in the fusion between urban and the natural environments [30].

We observed that the edge sampling point exhibited greater richness and diversity compared to the 35 m and 500 m from the edge points. Costa et al. [31], when analyzing edge effects and the influence of climatic variables on the distribution of mosquito fauna in a riparian forest within a conservation area in Minas Gerais, Brazil, reported that edge effects and climatic variations affected the composition of mosquito populations in the studied area. We can hypothesize that the influence on mosquito populations was due to the increased availability of food sources for adult specimens and favorable climatic conditions for larval development in breeding sites, such as higher temperatures. Studies in the Amazon found that more preserved and transitional environments showed higher abundances, while richness was greater in transitional and anthropized areas (edges) [32,33].

However, Almeida et al. [32] stated that due to the particularities of each study (region, methodology, and other variables), it is difficult to measure the exact cause of differences between preserved and anthropized environments. In TNP, it is important to note that differences in capture methodologies may have influenced the sampling results. The variation in species diversity between sampling points (forest edge, 500 m from the edge, and 35 m from the edge) can be attributed to variations within the forest, such as differences in the intensity of biological interactions, availability of food resources, and microclimatic conditions [34,35].

TNP exhibits a high diversity of culicids, including species of epidemiological relevance in the transmission of pathogens. Haemagogus leucocelaenus and Sa. identicus, both medically important species, were found in the park, with the former being the most abundant, followed by the latter. These species have frequently been involved in the transmission of the etiological agent of sylvatic yellow fever [36,37] and other arboviruses. Haemagogus leucocelaenus was notably recognized as a vector in the yellow fever outbreak that occurred in Brazil between 2016 and 2018 [38].

The data suggest that Hg. leucocelaenus, considering the levels of environmental alterations and native forest remnants, has a greater ability to survive through environmental transitions. Reports indicate that this species can be present in small areas of semi-deciduous forest, more open gallery forests, and even in more degraded environments frequented by humans. Additionally, this species can dominate in secondary and modified forest patches [36,39,40]. This significant adaptability favors its occurrence in both well-preserved and more altered forest edge fragments.

Sabethes identicus, typically a sylvatic species that breeds in bamboo, is generally collected in the deeper areas of forests where vegetation integrity is better preserved [41]. In this study, this species predominated, accounting for 52.7% of the individuals collected in the 500 m from the edge fragment.

Wyeomyia (Pho.) edwardsi and Li. durhamii also stood out, with the highest numbers of individuals captured. Alencar et al. [42] suggested that the immature forms of Wy. (Pho.) edwardsi are found exclusively in bromeliads, indicating no variability in their oviposition site selection. Wyeomyia (Pho.) edwardsi occurred in similar proportions across the three sampling points, demonstrating the availability of comparable larval habitats in the three forest gradients.

On the other hand, Li. durhamii showed versatility in its choice of oviposition habitats, reproducing in both natural and artificial containers, and successfully colonized artificial containers in preserved areas [43,44]. This is the most adaptable sabethine species to environments with varying degrees of anthropization [24,25]. In this study, more than half of the individuals were collected at 500 m from the edge. However, Hendy et al. [45] found this species associated with the forest edge in a forest reserve in the Amazon.

The Atlantic Forest, characterized by its exuberant tropical forest, hosts an extraordinary richness of plant and animal species, many of which are found only in this region [30]. Numerous potential larval habitats for mosquitoes offer excellent conditions for the development of immatures. Forest remnants located in urban areas can provide conditions for the maintenance of mosquito species through the availability of breeding sites and food sources for adults. Natural breeding sites can be exploited by sylvatic species, while artificial breeding sites introduced by humans increase the diversity of containers used as larval habitats [46].

The immature mosquito fauna in TNP exhibited differences based on the nature of the larval habitats found at the sampling points, with bromeliads being the richest and most diverse habitat. It is important to highlight that the park area hosts a wide variety of bromeliads, which can serve as breeding sites for different culicid species [24]. Notably, the most abundant species in bromeliads were Wy. (Pho.) edwardsi and Cx. ocellatus. These results are consistent with those from Docile et al. [47], Frank et al. [48], and Silva et al. [49], who noted that species of the genus Wyeomyia utilize specific oviposition sites, including epiphytic bromeliads and both natural and artificial containers.

Cardoso et al. [50] analyzed the mosquito fauna developing in bromeliads in Itatiaia National Park and identified ten species of the genus Culex. Consoli and Lourenço-de-Oliveira [24] mentioned the presence of Cx. ocellatus in terrestrial bromeliads and in less sunny environments. Similar to the observations in this study, Marques and Forattini [51] also found these culicids to occur frequently in bromeliad breeding sites in Ilhabela, São Paulo.

Considering that all the collected and identified Culex specimens were associated with natural larval habitats (bromeliads, puddles, and tree holes), our findings align with the results of Lourenço-de-Oliveira et al. [52], who reported Culex (Microculex) sp. as being restricted to natural habitats, primarily bromeliads. Müller and Marcondes [53] also indicated the predominance of Culex (Microculex) sp. in all species of bromeliads investigated in preserved forest areas in Santa Catarina. The most abundant species was Cx. dolosus, which has poorly known bionomics, geographical distribution, and ecology [54]. In this study, it was abundant in puddle habitats; however, immatures of this species have also been found in both natural and artificial, and permanent and temporary breeding sites [55].

The other abundant immatures were Wy. aporonoma Dyar & Knab, 1906, which occurred exclusively in tree holes, and Li. durhamii, which were found exclusively in artificial larval habitats. These behaviors are typical for both species [24,25]. Considering the variety of larval habitats present in TNP, we can infer that the type of container (natural or artificial) can influence the composition and abundance of the mosquito fauna.