Journal of Bioresource Management Volume 8 Issue 3 Article 7 Abundance and Distribution of the Forest Cockroaches in Different Algerian Ecosystems Zakaria Hedjouli Applied Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, Algeria, [email protected] Wafa Habbachi Applied Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, Algeria., [email protected] Fatiha Masna Department of Natural Sciences, Ens Taleb Ebderrahman, Laghouat, Algeria, [email protected] Saliha Benhissen Department of Natural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Mohamed Boudiaf, M'sila, Algeria., [email protected] Sarra Habbachi Applied Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, Algeria, [email protected] See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/jbm Part of the Forest Biology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Hedjouli, Z., Habbachi, W., Masna, F., Benhissen, S., Habbachi, S., Asloum, A., & Tahraoui, A. (2021). Abundance and Distribution of the Forest Cockroaches in Different Algerian Ecosystems, Journal of Bioresource Management, 8 (3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.35691/JBM.1202.0196 ISSN: 2309-3854 online (Received: Apr 10, 2021; Accepted: Apr 29, 2021; Published: Aug 26, 2021) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by CORE Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Bioresource Management by an authorized editor of CORE Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abundance and Distribution of the Forest Cockroaches in Different Algerian Ecosystems Authors Zakaria Hedjouli, Wafa Habbachi, Fatiha Masna, Saliha Benhissen, Sarra Habbachi, Abdelmadjid Yagoub Asloum, and Abdelkrim Tahraoui © Copyrights of all the papers published in Journal of Bioresource Management are with its publisher, Center for Bioresource Research (CBR) Islamabad, Pakistan. This permits anyone to copy, redistribute, remix, transmit and adapt the work for non-commercial purposes provided the original work and source is appropriately cited. Journal of Bioresource Management does not grant you any other rights in relation to this website or the material on this website. In other words, all other rights are reserved. For the avoidance of doubt, you must not adapt, edit, change, transform, publish, republish, distribute, redistribute, broadcast, rebroadcast or show or play in public this website or the material on this website (in any form or media) without appropriately and conspicuously citing the original work and source or Journal of Bioresource Management’s prior written permission. This article is available in Journal of Bioresource Management: https://corescholar.libraries.wright.edu/jbm/vol8/ iss3/7 Hedjouli et al. (2021). Abundance and Distribution of cockroaches in Algeria. J Biores Manag., 8(3): 67-78 ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOREST COCKROACHES IN DIFFERENT ALGERIAN ECOSYSTEMS ZAKARIA HEDJOULI1, WAFA HABBACHI1, FATIHA MASNA2, SALIHA BENHISSEN3, SARRA HABBACHI1, ABDELMADJID YAGOUB ASLOUM4, AND ABDELKRIM TAHRAOUI1 1Applied Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, Algeria. 2Department of Natural Sciences, Ens Taleb Ebderrahman, Laghouat, Algeria. 3 Department of Natural and Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Mohamed Boudiaf, M'sila, Algeria. 4Ecology of Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Badji Mokhtar, Annaba, Algeria Corresponding author’s email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Forests have many insect species that are unique to biodiversity and play a crucial role in the functioning of ecosystems. Forest cockroaches are the best example of forest litter insects, which also help decompose fallen leaves. The composition of the Blattoptera fauna can vary from one region to another, depending on the habitat and numerous biotic and abiotic factors In order to study the diversity, abundance, and distribution of forest cockroaches in different Algeria ecosystems, we have selected four sites from three Wilayas: Senalba (Djelfa), Ain achir (Annaba), Seraidi (Annaba), and Lehnaya (El-taref). These sites are classified into two distinct forest groups (Pinus halepensis and Quercus canariensis). In all areas, the samples were collected each month manually, starting from April 2019 until March 2020. We have collected 1231 individuals of cockroaches and describe eight species from all locations: Loboptera ovolobata (Bohn, 1991), Loboptera decipiens (Germar, 1817), Ectobius kervillei (Bolivar, 1907), Dziriblatta nigriventris (Chopard, 1936), Dziriblatta stenoptera (Chopard, 1937), Phyllodromica zebra (Rhen, 1903), Dziriblatta sp. (Chopard, 1936) and some Ectobius (Stephens, 1835) specimens have not yet been identified. With 51% L. decipiens was the most abundant species, followed by L. ovolobata with 27%. Despite that, the number of larvae was substantially higher than the number of adults in all forests examined. However, the abundance and biodiversity of cockroaches in the Djelfa forest were greater than those of the other woods. This study made it possible to characterize the diversity and dynamics of cockroach species populations in different Algerian ecosystems according to diverse Mediterranean forests. Keywords: Biodiversity, abundance, distribution, forest cockroaches, Algerian forests. INTRODUCTION Biodiversity is proposed to be Insects are arguably the most diverse necessary for the rate of ecosystem animal taxon, with an estimated 5-10 functions (Gamfeldt, 2008). A critical million species (Odegaard, 2000; Niven et feature of biodiversity that regulates al., 2008). Forests have many insect ecological processes and properties is the species that are unique to biodiversity and abundance of organisms, functional play a crucial role in the functioning of classes, and genotypes (Chapin et al., ecosystems (Sekour et al., 2010). Insects 1997). 67 Hedjouli et al. (2021). Abundance and Distribution of cockroaches in Algeria. J Biores Manag., 8(3): 67-78 living in the forest have ecological need, and diversity of forest cockroach species in and a wide variety of organisms play a various locations across Algeria. vital role in organic matter decomposition. (leaves, twigs, roots, etc.). They recycle MATERIAL AND METHODS dead organic matter and recreate the cycle of the material necessary for the forest's Study Area existence (Habbachi, 2013). Among these insects, To study cockroach's cockroaches, which constitute the oldest biological diversity in different ecosystems group of insects, have existed since the in Algeria, we have chosen four sites Carboniferous period. Cockroaches were distributed over three states, each too abundant during the Carboniferous containing a particular type of trees and Period (Koehler and Patterson, 1987) and plant varieties (Figure 1). considered the most primitive of the (S1): Senalba forest, 34°39’44” Pterygotes. This fauna varies in the hot and N;3°09’38” E, adjacent in the wilaya of humid regions of Africa and tropical Djelfa, situated at an altitude of 1140 America (Guthrie and Tindall, 1968; meters, is a picturesque natural site attracts Grandcolas, 1998). Forest cockroaches are many eyes. This forest occupies 19,800 the best example of forest litter insects, hectares and comprises 95% of Aleppo's which also help decompose fallen leaves. pine trees and other plant varieties and The composition of the Blattoptera fauna characterized with a semi-arid climate. can vary from one region to another, (S2): Seraidi forest, 36°54’29” N; depending on the habitat and numerous 7°41’11” E, located in the city of Saraidi biotic and abiotic factors (Rust et al., (Annaba), on Mount Edog (850 meters 1995). Variability of habitats and above sea level) in a forested area adaptation to climatic factors cause surrounded by an intense mountain range considerable variation (Cornwell, 1968). that covers the entire eastern side of the The African species country, where oak, oak, and Aleppo pine inventory is far from complete. Few trees abound and it belongs to the humid researches have been conducted on the climate stage. fauna of Orthopteroids, especially (S3): Ain Achir forest, 36°57’21” Dictyoptera, in North Africa. Chopard N; 7°46’31” E, it is a forest near the beach (1929; 1943) describes and identifies the of Ain Achir, at an altitude of 50 meters fauna of Orthopteroids, including from the sea level, and it belongs to the cockroaches. In Algeria, little work has wilaya of Annaba. This forest is covered been done on this subject. In order to with clusters of oak and oak trees and it's compile a list of woodland cockroaches, characterized by a humid climate. we cite the work of Cherairia (2004), (S4): Lehnaya forest, 36°51’26N; Habbachi (2013) in the northeastern region 8°12’01’’E, a forest located in the of Algeria, Masna (2016) in the semi-arid municipality of Berrihane (El-Tarf regions of Aflou (Laghouat) and Djelfa, wilaya), which is situated at an altitude of and that of Azoui (2017) in the region of 54 meters from the sea level and Batna. Due to a lack of knowledge on characterized by the diversity of the cockroach populations in Algerian forest environment and forest and animal habitats, we decided to perform this survey components density