Cheumatopsyche sp.

Khettar, Sihem, Haouchine-Bouzidi, Nawel, Kherbouche-Abrous, Ourida, Radi, Nora, Elalami, Majida & Beladjal, Lynda, 2022, Taxonomy and Distribution of Trichoptera in El Harrach Wadi (Northcentral Algeria) with the First Record of Hydropsyche incognita in North Africa, Zootaxa 5120 (4), pp. 482-500 : 486-488

Cheumatopsyche sp.

The genus Cheumatopsyche is represented by only 2 species in Algeria: C. atlantis ( Navás 1930) and C. lepida (F.J. Pictet 1834) . Diagnoses of larvae of these species have not been published.

Material studied. ALGERIA, Blida, Maktaa Lazreg, Boumaane Wadi (S1) (36°27’27”N, 3°00’27”E) , 270 m a.s.l.: 07.vi.2013, 7 larvae; 22.ii.2013, 1 larva ; 25.iv.2013, 2 larvae; 02.xi.2012, 16 larvae; 22.iii.2013, 5 larvae ( CSK05 ). Hammam Melouane, Badour Wadi (S8) (36°28’43”N, 3°04’07”E) , 410 m a.s.l.: 25.iv.2013, 4 larvae; 22.ii.2013, 16 larvae ; 22.iii.2013, 35 larvae; 02.xi.2012, 16 larvae; 07.vi.2013, 1 larva ( CSK06 ). Maktaa Lazreg, El Aach Wadi (S4) (36°28’17”N, 3°00’24”E) , 200 m a.s.l.: 22.ii.2013, 2 larvae; 22.iii.2013, 7 larvae ; 02.xi.2012, 8 larvae; 07.vi.2013, 2 larvae ( CSK07 ). Hammam Melouane, El Harrach Wadi (S7) (36°29’46”N, 3°02’47”E) , 150 m a.s.l.: 25.iv.2013, 1 larva ( CSK08 ) .

Algerian literature records for C. atlantis . Tizi Ouzou, Aissi Wadi ( Lounaci et al. 2000; Malicky & Lounaci 1987).

International literature records for C. atlantis . MOROCCO ( Ajakane 1988; Badri 1985; Bonada et al. 2008; Dakki 1978, 1982; El Agbani 1984; El Alami & Dakki 1998; El Bazi et al. 2017; Fekhaoui et al. 1993; Gellaf et al. 2021; Hajji et al. 2013; Mabrouki et al. 2020; Tayoub 1989; Zerrouk et al. 2021).

Algerian literature records for C. lepida . Mazafran Watershed: Blida, Chiffa Wadi; Djer Wadi. Medea, Mouzaia Wadi; Sidi Si Baahloul Wadi. Chelif Basin: Medea, Ksar El Boukhari. Ain Defla: Chorfa Wadi; Khemis Miliana (Arab 2004; Arab et al. 2004); ( Tobias & Tobias 2008).

International literature records for C. lepida . ITALY ( Lodovici & Valle 2020). MOROCCO ( Tobias & Tobias 2008). PORTUGAL ( González & Menéndez 2011). SPAIN ( Basaguren 1990; Bonada et al. 2004, 2008; García de Jalón 1986; González & Menéndez 2011). TUNISIA ( Tobias & Tobias 2008).

Distribution. Cheumatopsyche atlantis has been reported in Algeria and Morocco (♂); C. lepida in Algeria (♂), Italy (♂), Morocco (♂), Portugal (♂), Spain (♂) and Tunisia (♂).

Comment. The genus Cheumatopsyche was described for the first time in North Africa by Lestage (1925). He identified larvae collected at Kerma Wadi near Algiers as “ Hydropsyche lepida .” Gauthier (1928) gave the same name to larvae from different Algerian wadis. Navás (1930) described a female of “ Hydropsychodes lepida ” found at Tinmel (western High Atlas, Morroco ). Dakki (1982) reported only C. atlantis and signaled that C. lepida is much closer to the southern African species C. afra ( Mosely 1935) than to the European species C. lepida . Lounaci et al. (2000) and Malicky & Lounaci (1987) sampled C. atlantis in the Great Kabylia (Aissi Wadi) and Arab et al. (2004) collected C. lepida in northwestern Algeria (Chelif Basin). Malicky (2005) has considered C. atlantis to be a synonym of C. lepida . Bonada et al. (2008) showed some differences: The hairy areas of C. atlantis are less conspicuous than in C. lepida and mostly limited to the anterior margin of the pronotum. Thus, they considered that C. atlantis is different from C. lepida , but more individuals need to be collected to ensure that C. atlantis is a valid species.

During our survey, we were not able to identify the larvae to species. Catching mature pupae or matching identifiable imagoes with larvae using genetic methods will be necessary to identify them.