ACTA ZOOLOGICA BULGARICA Zoogeography and Faunistics Acta zool. bulg., 68 (2), 2016: 199-206 Research Article New Data on Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera from the Republic of Macedonia Valentina Slavevska-Stamenković1*, Biljana Rimcheska1, Yanka Vidinova2, Violeta Tyufekchieva2, Milica Ristovska1, Stoe Smiljkov1, Momir Paunović3, Dana Prelić1 1Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Science and Mathematics, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, P.O. Box 162, 1000 Sko- pje, Republic of Macedonia; E-mail: [email protected] 2Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 2 Gagarin Street, 1113-Sofia, Bulgaria 3Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, University of Belgrade, 142 Despota Stefana Blvd., 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Abstract: As a result of field survey carried out in 2007-2014 at 18 sampling points at rivers of the Republic of Macedonia, new data on the distribution of four species of the order Ephemeroptera (Serratella ikonomovi, Ephemerella mucronata, Heptagenia longicauda and Caenis pseudorivulorum), two species of the order Plecoptera (Brachyptera beali beali and Taeniopteryx hubaulti) and one species of the order Trichoptera (Thremma anomalum) were collected. These data allow assessment of the conseravation status of the studied species. This is the first record of the mayfly Caenis pseudorivulorum Keffermüller, 1960 in the Republic of Macedonia. Key words: EPT, distribution pattern, conservation, Macedonia Introduction Freshwater ecosystems are of exceptional interest freshwater animal species are insects. Trichoptera, because they are among the most diverse habitats Plecoptera and Ephemeroptera (usually known as on earth. It is widely recognised that rapid globalisa- EPT taxa) represent 15%, 5% and 4%, respective- tion has caused wide-spread degradation and disrup- ly, of the total number of freshwater animal species tion of natural systems, especially in the freshwater (Bal I A N et al. 2008). These organisms are essential realm (LÉVÊQUE et al. 2005). Declines in biodiversity elements in the benthic communities playing an im- are far greater in freshwaters (lakes, rivers and wet- portant role in the nutrient cycling of materials and lands) than in the most affected terrestrial ecosystems in trophic transfers (FERRO , SITE S 2007). As EPT taxa (DU D GEON et al. 2006). According to the IUCN Red are generally sensitive to environmental perturba- Lists of threatened species (IUCN 2015) and ABE ll tions, they are widely used for ecological monitoring et al. (2008), a quarter of the known worldwide fresh- (RO S ENBERG , RE S H 1993). water species are listed as threatened or regionally The vulnerability to variation in abiotic factors extinct. Thus, the knowledge of the distribution and (pollution, habitat degradation, acidification, climate population status of the majority of aquatic species is change, etc.) may lead to local or global extinction urgently needed to understand and protect freshwater of many EPT species (Sl a v e v S k a -St a m e n k o v i ć et ecosystems worldwide (MÄCH L ER et al. 2014). al. 2011, HER S KOVITZ et al. 2015). In this regard, EPT On the other hand, the present knowledge of species belong to the category of the most endan- freshwater diversity is still partial. According to a gered aquatic insects (HERING et al. 2009, Pe t r o v i ć rough estimate by Bal I A N et al. (2008), 60.4% of et al. 2014, 2015). However, globally there are only *Corresponding author: [email protected] 199 Slavevska-Stamenković V., B. Rimcheska, Y. Vidinova, V. Tyufekchieva, M. Ristovska, S. Smiljkov, M. Paunović, D. Prelić 11 (seven Extinct, two Vulnerable, one Endangered the last century (IKONO M OV 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, and one Critically Endangered) EPT taxa included 1974 а, b, 1975, 1976 а, b, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 in the IUCN Red Lists for threatened species (IUCN а, b, 1982, 1983 а, b, c, 1986 а, b, ZWICK 1984). 2015). The larvae of EPT species, as well as of the Recently, a new species of stonefly, Siphonoperla other aquatic invertebrates are notoriously difficult to korab Graf, 2012, was described (GR af et al. 2012) inventory because of their small size, often low pop- and four new taxa (Nemoura anas Murányi, 2007, ulation densities and patchy distribution (MÄCH L ER Leuctra graeca Zwick, 1978, Zwicknia acuta et al. 2014), which probably contributes to their low Murányi & Orci, 2014 and Isoperla pesici Murányi, level of conservation. 2011) for the Republic of Macedonia were recorded Compared to Western and Central Europe (e.g., (MURÁNYI 2007, MURÁNYI et al. 2014). GR af et al. 2008, 2009; BU ffa GNI et al. 2009), scarce Compared to mayflies and stoneflies, information on the distribution and conservation sta- Trichoptera (caddisflies) is relatively insufficiently tus of EPT taxa from the Balkan Peninsula is avail- known insect order in Macedonia (ra d o v a n o v i ć able (IBR A HI M I et al. 2012, 2014, TYU F EKCHIEV A et al. 1942, BOTO sa NE A NU 1960; PA V L OV S KI 1991, AR S OV 2013, Pe t r o v i ć et al. 2014, 2015). In the Republic of 1991, KU ma N S KI 1997, KU ma N S KI , Mal ICKY 1999). Macedonia, previous studies have been mainly fo- Considerable progress has been made in recent years cused on the taxonomy of EPT taxa. Ephemeroptera and new taxa were described (OL ÁH 2010, OL ÁH have been extensively examined by IKONO M OV (1951, et al. 2011, 2013 a, b, OL ÁH , KOVÁC S , 2013, 2014, 1953, 1954 a, b, c, 1958, 1960, 1961 a, b, 1962 a, b, OL ÁH et al. 2014, VITECEK et al. 2015). c, d, 1963 а, b, 1964, 1970) and, more recently, by Although historical data are of great impor- VI D INOV A (1998), Sm i l j k o v , Sl a v e v S k a -St a m e n k o v i ć tance, future changes in the composition of the EPT (2004) and SM I L JKOV et al. (2008). taxa in Macedonia will go undetected unless current There are numerous publications dealing with distribution of existing species is well documented. Macedonian stoneflies (Plecoptera), especially from Thus, the aim of this paper is to report new data on Fig. 1. Localities of the studied water bodies 200 New Data on Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera from the Republic of Macedonia Table 1. Characteristics of the sampling sites Altitude Longitude Ecore- Code River/Locality Latitude (°E) Sampling period (m) (°N) gion Site A Bregalnica River S1 Dve Reki 1 300 41°43’37.5’’ 22°59’16.5’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S2 Ramna River 1 100 41°43’52.6’’ 22°56’56.3’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S3 upstream Berovo 856 41°41’59.8’’ 22°51’27.9’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S4 upstream Dechevo 601 41°56’32.5’’ 22°48’15.7’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S5 upstream Kalimanci dam 536 41°59’20.8’’ 22°39’16.9’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S6 downstream Kalimanci dam 420 41°58’03.6’’ 22°34’32.4’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S7 v. Teranci 317 41°51’45.4’’ 22°20’58.5’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S8 mouth of Zletovica River 296 41°51’32’’ 22°15’51’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S9 v. Dolni Balvan 282 41°48’21’’ 22°12’12’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S10 v. Sofilari 257 41°42’34’’ 22°8’12’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 S11 mouth of Bregalnica to Vardar 154 41°36’ 24.344’’ 21°55’23.011’’ 7 October 2008-September 2009 Site D S12 Mala Reka River 735 41°32’9.888’’ 20°38’25.987’’ 6 April 2011 S13 Tresonechka River 1150 41°34’2.03’’ 20°44’46.895’’ 6 April 2011 S14 Rosochka River 810 41°32’35.07’’ 20°40’22.729’’ 6 April 2011 S15 Portica (Lazaropolska) River 1170 41°31’28.85’’ 20°41’27.81’’ 6 April 2011 Site B Orevovechka River S16 downstream the local fishpond 860 41°23’48.32’’ 21°38’2.75’’ 6 March 2011, March 2012 upstream entering S17 740 41°23’1.971’’ 21°36’48.361’’ 6 March 2011, March 2012 Prilep Reservoir Site C Lenishka River S18 upstream course 1455 41°16’18.609’’ 20°33’13.628’’ 6 July 2014 some rare and endemic EPT taxa collected during (for coarse sand and silt substrata) an Ekman grab. the last years in the Republic of Macedonia, thus im- Standard methodology for collection of bottom fauna proving the knowledge on their geographic distribu- (EN 28265:1994, EN 27828:1994, EN 9391:1995) tion and assisting to make a preliminary assessment was followed. EPT larvae specimens were separated of their conservation status. from the other organisms, preserved in 80% ethanol and deposited in the Macedonian National Collection Material and Methods of Invertebrates (MNCI), Faculty for Natural Science and Mathematics, Skopje, R. Macedonia. The keys We present part of the results from the survey of of AUBERT (1959), ED IGTON , HI ld REW (1981), Ell IOT 18 sampling points (Fig. 1) classified as: Site A et al. (1988), HYNE S (1977), WA RINGER , GR af (1997, - Bregalnica River (S1-S11); Site D - Mala Reka 2013), Walla CE et al. (2003) and ZWICK (2004) were River (S12), Tresonechka River (S13), Rosochka used for identification of the EPT larvae. The sys- River (S14), Portica (Lazaropolska) River (S15); tematic presentation follows D E JONG et al. (2014) Site B - Orevovechka River (S16-S17) and Site C and BA UERN F EIN D , SO lda N (2012).