Sparbarus kabyliensis (Soldán, 1986)

Brachycercus kabyliensis Soldán, 1986

Brachycercus sp.: Dakki & El Agbani, 1983

Brachycercus sp.: Zrelli et al., 2006

MATERIAL EXAMINED: Loc. 1 ( Joumine 24-X-2005).

REMARKS: A recent worldwide revision of the subfamily Brachycercinae by Sun & McCafferty (2008), allows us to reconsider the former identification of some nymphs attributed to the genus Brachycercus Curtis, 1835 . Our material is in perfect accordance with the diagnosis and characters of Sparbarus . In peculiar, our specimens lack a posteromedial process at the base of the operculate gills, as well as operculate gills with ventral submarginal rows, but without a longitudinal ridge in the sublateral area nor a protruding edge at the posterolateral corner. In Brachycercus, abdominal tergum II has a process at the base of the operculate gills; the posterolateral corner of the operculate gills is distinctly more developed than the posteromedial corner.

Egg morphology: Length about 200µm. Shape elongate-ovate (Figs 2-3). Polar cap about one-third length of entire egg, without tubercles. Two linear micropyles per egg and a chorion with about 12 broad costae in lateral half (Figs 4-5).

This species was first described from Algeria (Soldán, 1986), but was already mentioned from Morocco by Dakki & El Agbani (1983); and later from Tunisia by Zrelli et al. (006). The distribution of Sparbarus kabyliensis is restricted to a maritime humid zone of North Africa (Gagneur & Thomas, 1988). In Tunisia, this species is very rare and has been sampled in a single stream in North Tunisia, the Joumine stream (main tributary of the Ichkeul lake) situated at 90m a.s.l. This species is the only Brachycercinae so far known from North Africa.