Written by Tringi Studies
Introduction
Research on Trichoptera in Kosovo already has a long tradition. Especially during the past decade, several water streams have been studied from the perspectives of taxonomy, ecology, and biogeography of this order of aquatic insects (Ibrahimi, Kučinić, Gashi, & Kotori, 2014; Ibrahimi, et al., 2019; Ibrahimi, et al., 2016; Ibrahimi, et al., 2015; Ibrahimi, et al., 2014; Ibrahimi & Sejdiu, 2018; Ibrahimi, et al., 2015; Valladolid, et al., 2022; Ibrahimi, et al., 2021).
Among these studies, it is worth mentioning the research conducted on the Llapi River, where a total of 651 specimens were collected, belonging to 14 families and 37 species. The genus Ithytrichia was reported for the first time in Kosovo, along with the first records for two species for the Trichoptera fauna of Kosovo: Crunoecia irrorata and Ithytrichia lamellaris (Ibrahimi & Sejdiu, 2018). Another study was carried out on the Drenica River, where 22 species belonging to 9 families were found. The species Limnephilus fuscicornis from the family Limnephilidae was reported for the first time in Kosovo and was found only at station S5 Grabovc (Ibrahimi, Kuqi, Spahija, & Bilalli, 2019).
There have also been studies contributing to the understanding of Trichoptera fauna in the Sharr Mountains, including works by Ibrahimi et al. (2019), Ibrahimi et al. (2016), Ibrahimi & Vehapi (2017), and Musliu et al. (2022), among others.
Over the years, several new species of this insect order have been discovered in Kosovo. These studies have also provided detailed information about many other rare species from the country. The newly discovered species are Drusus sharrensis , a micro-endemic species of the Sharr Mountains (Ibrahimi et al., 2016); Drusus dardanicus , found in one of the streams located about 5 kilometers above the village of Bollosicë (Ibrahimi et al., 2015); Potamophylax coronavirus , discovered in the Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains (Ibrahimi et al., 2021); and Potamophylax humoinsapiens , discovered in the Sharr Mountains, one of the most important freshwater biodiversity hotspots in the Balkan Peninsula, rich in endemic and rare species (Ibrahimi et al., 2023).
Objectives of the Study
In our research, we found a total of 49 species of Trichoptera. For comparison, 37 species were found in the Llapi River (Ibrahimi & Sejdiu, 2018), while 27 species belonging to 12 families were found in the Leqinat area and its surroundings (Ibrahimi, Kotorri, Bilalli, Qamili, & Schabetsberger, 2019).
New Records for Kosovo
Within the framework of this study, we recorded for the first time in Kosovo two species: Orthotrichia tragetti and Hydroptila vectis. The species Orthotrichia tragetti was first described by Mosely in 1930.
Orthotrichia tragetti is one of the most successful species within the Hydroptilidae family, with an almost continuous distribution around the world.
In Europe, O. tragetti is widely distributed across Central and Northern Europe but remains a rare species. It has been listed in the red lists of several countries, such as Sweden, and according to Finland’s Red List, it is considered near-threatened. In Germany, it is classified as critically endangered in the Trichoptera Red List. Orthotrichia tragetti was first recorded in Croatia in 2016 and, thus, reported for the first time in the Hungarian Lowland limno-ecoregion. Due to its rarity and the lack of studies, further recordings of this species are expected in the Pannonian part of Croatia. Similarly, in Poland, O. tragetti was recorded for the first time in 2003 (Vrućina, Previšić, & Merdić, 2016).
Hydroptila vectis is more widely distributed across Europe, Asia, and Africa. This species was added to the Irish list based on four males captured in a trap in Glenveagh National Park, County Donegal, in northwestern Ireland (O’Connor, 2019).
In Croatia, Hydroptila vectis was first recorded in 2007 during a study of the Drava River, where 24 species were found, five of which were new records for Croatia (Previšić, 2007).
Species Diversity and Family Distribution
The highest number of species found in our study belongs to the family Limnephilidae, which is expected given the nature of the habitats where the material was collected, habitats well suited for species of this family. We also found a considerable number of species belonging to the Hydropsychidae family, which again can be explained by the favorable habitat conditions for this family.
Rare and Noteworthy Species
During this study, many rare species were also found, such as Limnephilus incisus , Stenophylax mitis , Ironoquia dubia , Tinodes popovi , Hydropsyche angustipennis , Hydropsyche guttata , Hydropsyche bulbifera , Wormaldia juliani , Wormaldia subnigra , Wormaldia subterranea , Hydroptila sparsa , Agraylea sexmaculata , Synagapetus moselyi , Rhyacophila macedonica , and Athripsodes bilineatus .
Hydropsyche angustipennis and Ironoquia dubia are distributed in Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), Hydropsyche guttata is distributed in Europe, Asia, and North America, and Hydropsyche bulbifera in Europe and Asia.
The species Wormaldia subnigra is most widely distributed in Great Britain and Scandinavian countries and less so in the Balkans and Central Europe. Athripsodes bilineatus is a species widespread across Europe, most common in Great Britain, then in Germany, and less common in other countries (Pons, n.d.).
Hydroptila sparsa was encountered at site L3. This species is quite rare and is distributed across the European continent; several studies have also found this species in Balkan countries. In Montenegro, the first record of this species occurred during 2015–2016 in Ulcinj and the Qakorri Mountains (Ibrahimi, Pali, Bilalli, & Musliu, 2019).
Synagapetus moselyi is a species distributed in Europe, specifically in Hungary, Germany, Austria, and Romania. In a study presenting a list of newly collected Trichoptera species from the Republic of Kosovo during 2009–2010, Synagapetus moselyi was recorded for the first time in the Trichoptera fauna of Kosovo (Ibrahimi et al., 2015).
The species Rhyacophila macedonica was recorded at all localities during this study. This species was discovered in 2022 and so far has only been found in Kosovo, Greece, North Macedonia, and Serbia. In Greece, Rhyacophila macedonica is restricted to the northern part of the country, mainly in the regions of Thrace and Macedonia. In North Macedonia, it is currently known from a single northern locality near the border with Kosovo. In Kosovo, it is found in the northern, eastern, and southern mountains. In Serbia, it has been recorded in the Jastrebac Mountains (Valladolid et al., 2022).
Conclusion
Through this study, data on the Trichoptera fauna were presented, achieving very satisfactory and useful results for the recognition of this insect order in the researched region. Thus, the aim of this study was achieved.
The collected data show the species richness of the order Trichoptera in several streams in central Kosovo. During the five-month research period from May to September, a total of 896 individuals were captured across six localities, of which 391 were males and 505 were females of the order Trichoptera. Identification was carried out to the species level, except for the genera Hydropsyche and Hydroptila , and a total of 12 families and 49 species were recorded.
Among these species, several rare ones were also found, such as Limnephilus incisus , Stenophylax mitis , Ironoquia dubia , Tinodes popovi , Hydropsyche angustipennis , Hydropsyche guttata , Hydropsyche bulbifera , Wormaldia juliani , Wormaldia subnigra , Wormaldia subterranea , Hydroptila sparsa , Agraylea sexmaculata , Synagapetus moselyi , Rhyacophila macedonica , and Athripsodes bilineatus .
During this study, two species were recorded for the first time in Kosovo: Orthotrichia tragetti and Hydroptila vectis , while other species were found to be those more commonly encountered in the region.
This work contributes to the recognition of the Trichoptera fauna in several streams in central Kosovo, where there remains room for further research to expand knowledge on the distribution of this very important insect order. Also future studies should expand the research efforts to understand and protect this important component of freshwater biodiversity.
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Disclaimer
This study was conducted over a limited temporal and spatial scale (May–September) and may not capture the complete diversity of Trichoptera in the studied region. Species identification was based on available morphological keys, and molecular analyzes were not performed. Further research involving year-round sampling and advanced identification techniques is recommended to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the Trichoptera fauna in central Kosovo.