Communities of Chironomidae (Diptera) from four ecological zones delimited by the Mediterranean coastal ecosystems of Morocco (Moroccan Rif). Updated list and faunal data from the last two decades

Abstract

Based on a large material collected during the last two decades in 43 sites covering a wide range of habitats (fresh and brackish water) we delimited four ecological zones, which extend between sea level and high mountain areas located above 1000 m. The four ecological zones are: Zone 1 (Estuarine zone including pools, ponds, lagoons and wet meadows, altitude 0-10 m); Zone 2 (Potamal, alt. 10-350 m); Zone 3 (Lower basin of streams and wadis (alt. 350-1000 m); Zone 4 (Upper basin of streams, wadis, springs and peat bogs, alt. > 1000 m). An updated list of 256 species/taxa belonging to Chironomidae (Diptera) has been established which complements previous data for the chironomid fauna of Morocco. The list includes 72 (28%) new records for the fauna of Morocco, 21 (8%) undescribed species and probably 2 new genera (1 Orthocladiinae and 1 Tanytarsini). Spatial distribution of species by subfamilies is highlighted in the four ecological zones where faunal comparative results are: Buchonomyinae (1 species); Tanypodinae (21); Diamesinae (8); Orthocladiinae (143); Chironominae (82, including 40 Chironomini and 42 Tanytarsini). Currently, a total of 410 valid species are reported from Morocco. The low frequency of both listed and undescribed species in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems is linked to the limited faunal knowledge of wetland coastal areas and fragility of lowland habitats, which are regarded as true hotspots.

Synorthocladius federicoi sp. nov., a new species occurring in the middle basin of the Adige River, northern Italy (Diptera, Chironomidae, Orthocladiinae)

“…Larvae of Synorthocladius species are typically rheobiontic, occurring especially in rheocrene mountain springs and streams fed by groundwater (krenal) ( Reiss 1968 , 1989 ; Evrard 1995 ; Lindegaard 1995 ; Lencioni et al 2011 , 2012 , 2018 ; Kettani and Moubayed-Breil 2018 ; Murray et al 2018 ), but also in the rhithral and potamal reaches of rivers with high current velocity ( Rossaro 1982 ). The holotype and only known specimen of the new species was collected in a moderately shaded lotic habitat with sandy to gravely substrate supplied by fresh groundwater, which maintains a low annual variation of temperature.…”

“…According to data on the taxonomy and geographical distribution of known Synorthocladius species from the Palaearctic and neighbouring biogeographical regions ( Pankratova 1970 ; Sasa and Yamamoto 1977 ; Sasa 1981 ; Cranston et al 1989 ; Reiss 1989 ; Evrard 1995 ; Liu and Wang 2005 ; Langton and Pinder 2007 ; Lencioni et al 2011 , 2012 , 2018 ; Ashe and O’Connor 2012 ; Moubayed-Breil and Ashe 2012 ; Plociennik and Pesic 2012 ; Sæther and Spies 2013 ; Plociennik and Karaouzas 2014 ; Makarchenko and Makarchenko 2017 ; Kettani and Moubayed-Breil 2018 ; Murray et al 2018 ; Yavorskaya et al 2018 ; Rossaro et al 2019 ; Moubayed-Breil 2020 ), there are eight valid species of the genus worldwide, of which only one, S. semivirens (Kieffer, 1909), was reported from Europe. The present description of S. federicoi sp.…”

Catalogue of the Diptera (Insecta) of Morocco— an annotated checklist, with distributions and a bibliography

“… Ashe and O’Connor 2009 ; Kettani et al 2010 , Rif , Oued Kelaâ (Akoumi, 400 m); Kettani and Langton 2012 ; Ashe et al 2015 , Rif , Oued Kelaâ (Akoumi, 400 m); Kettani and Moubayed-Breil 2018 , Rif…”

“… Azzouzi et al 1992 , HA , Oued Tensift; Kettani et al 1994 , Rif , Oued Siflaou; Kettani et al 1996 ; Dakki 1997 ; Kettani et al 1997 , Rif , Oued Khizana (Oued Laou); Kettani et al 2001 ; Kettani and El Ouazzani 2005, Rif , amont Oued Nakhla; Ashe and O’Connor 2009 ; Kettani and Langton 2012 ; Kettani and Moubayed-Breil 2018 , Rif…”

The natural factors and anthropogenic stressors influence on Chironomidae communities of two north-African wadis

“…Knowledge of the Chironomidae of north African streams tends to be neglected in most ecological studies, probably due to their taxonomic complexity (Bazzanti et al, 2008). Over the past decades, knowledge concerning the Chironomidae has gradually developed in Morocco (Kettani and Moubayed, 2018), Tunisia (Boulaaba et al, 2014) and Algeria (Chaib et al, 2011(Chaib et al, , 2013. Most of these works were mainly devoted to the distribution of Chironomids, but few concerned their ecology.…”