Habrophlebia hassainae, a new mayfly species (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) from North Africa

Abstract

We present here a new species of Habrophlebia, H. hassainae sp. nov., described at nymphal, imaginal and egg stages obtained by rearing from the Tafna watershed, North western Algeria. The new species was previously identified as H. cf. fusca by Gagneur Thomas (1988). H. hassainae is in fact more related to H. lauta McLachlan, 1884, but can be separated by different characters on the male imago and nymphs. This is the third species of Habrophlebia reported from North Africa.

An unexpected new species of Habrophlebia from Algeria (Ephemeroptera, Leptophlebiidae)

“… fusca ( Thomas 1998 ; Lounaci et al 2000 ) (Algeria). The work by Benhadji et al (2018) , which looked at populations of Habrophlebia in northwestern Algeria (Tafna watershed) studied by Gagneur and Thomas (1988) , revealed a new species ( H. hassainae Benhadji & Sartori, 2018). It was suspected that further investigations of previously studied populations would, upon re-examination, reveal additional new species.…”

Biogeography, ecology, and conservation of mayfly communities of relict mountain streams, north‐eastern Algeria

“…Over the past two years, two new Maghrebian mayfly endemics have been described: H. hassainae (Benhadji, Abdellaoui Hassaine & Sartori, 2018) and H. djurdjurensis (Kechemir, Sartori & Lounaci, 2020).…”

“…Recently, advances in the taxonomy of Algerian mayflies have been made with new species of mayflies described: Habrophlebia hassainae (Benhadji, Abdellaoui Hassaine & Sartori, 2018) and Habrophlebia djurdjurensis (Kechemir, Sartori & Lounaci, 2020). New additions to the Algerian checklist, such as Cloeon peregrinator and Baetis atlanticus, have also been made (Benhadji et al, 2019).…”

Diversity and Distribution of Mayflies from Morocco (Ephemeroptera, Insecta)

“…This Palearctic species has been recorded in Middle Atlas [15,42], Central Plateau [15,38,39,61] and Oriental Morocco [33]. The presence of this species is nevertheless doubtful [24,26,31], since this genus shows a high rate of endemism in the Maghreb countries, particularly in Algeria with the recent description of two new species [62,63]. Therefore, a revision of all Moroccan Habrophlebia populations would be necessary as they may represent a complex of species.…”

“…Ephoron virgo has a West Palearctic distribution. In North Africa, it is known in the three Maghreb countries [62]. In Morocco, the Central Plateau [38,39] and the Middle Atlas [15] seem to constitute the southern limit of its distribution since it is absent in the High Atlas.…”