Simulium (Simulium) ornatum Meigen

Cherairia, Mouna, Adler, Peter H. & Samraoui, Boudjéma, 2014, Biodiversity and Bionomics of the Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Northeastern Algeria, Zootaxa 3796 (1), pp. 166-174 : 171-172

Simulium (Simulium) ornatum Meigen complex

The S. ornatum complex is well documented in Algeria ( Edwards 1923; Gagneur & Clergue-Gazeau 1988; Lounaci et al. 2000a, b; Chaoui Boudghane-Bendiouis et al. 2012). In the Seybouse Basin, it was collected throughout the year and was the third most common taxon in our study. Given its frequency of collection, S. ornatum in the Seybouse Basin might be a complex of species. However, the limited number of larvae (n = 10) that we examined chromosomally revealed a single species. Although its status with respect to other species in the large S. ornatum species complex is not resolved, we know, based on our chromosomal examination, that it is not S.

ornatum sensu stricto. The complex colonized a variety of habitats, from small streams at high elevations (610–852 m) to wide rivers in the plains (224 m). These habitats were characterized by predominantly stony substrates, current macrovelocities of 0.2–2.1 m /s, and water temperatures of 9.1–23.5 °C. The larvae and pupae commonly were collected from trailing vegetation.

Sites: 1–4, 6, 9–12, 15–17, 21, 23, 30, 31.