Leuctra geniculata ( Stephens, 1836 )

Errochdi, Sanae, Alami, Majida El, Vinçon, Gilles, Abdaoui, Abdelali & Ghamizi, Mohamed, 2014, Contribution to the knowledge of Moroccan and Maghrebin stoneflies (Plecoptera), Zootaxa 3838 (1) : -

Leuctra geniculata ( Stephens, 1836)

Material examined. Rif: Chefchaouen, Laou v.: Tiffert r., Talassemtane Park, 1230 m, 02.10.2003, 5L; Seguia Anssar Afaska, Talassemtane Park, 1293 m, 18.10.2003, 5L; Afertane r., 55 m, 20.12.2003, 5L (ELA); North of Maggo town r., 905 m, 30.06.2005, 11L, 12.11.2007, 1 female, 5L; Maggo town r., 777 m, 12.11.2007, 3L; Kelâa r., Akchour, 400 m, 25.04.2007, 4L; Tkarâa r.,> Douar Tayenza, Bouhachem mountain, 950 m, 27.04.2013, 11L (ERR). Tihissasse v., Talassemtane Park: Beni Mhamed r., 1235 m, 11.07.2008, 4L; Madissouka r., 1530 m, 24.11.2008, 3L (ERR); Inessmane Adeldal r., Kharbouch mountain, 1173 m, 03.10.2003, 7L; Anou r., Beni Mhamed, 1235 m, 03.10.2003, 5L; Dchar Amran r., Beni Mhamed, 1180 m, 03.10.2003, 12L; Assifane Igouraine r., 1405 m, 03.10.2003, 1L; Lamiyas Tarhlite r., 1160 m, 03.10.2003, 4L; Kanar r., Beni Fanzar, 220 m, 03.10.2003, 6L (ELA).

Distribution ( Fig. 10 ). A Central and West European species, including Britain and North Africa. It is widespread in the islands of Corsica and Sardinia and the French Alps. In the Pyrenees, it occurs in the lower reaches of rivers and it occupies the same position in the Tavignago of Corsica. In the Maghreb, the species was recorded from Algeria ( Gagneur & Aliane 1991, Lounaci & Vinçon 2005, Yasri-Cheboubi et al. 2013) and Tunisia ( Berthélemy 1973). In Morocco, its distribution area covers the Rif ( Sánchez-Ortega & Azzouz 1998, Errochdi & El Alami 2008, Errochdi et al. 2014), High Atlas and Middle Atlas (Miron 1972, Vinçon et al. 2014).

Ecology: In Europe, larvae occur more frequently in large rivers and streams of lowland regions (metarhithral - epipotamal) whereas in the Moroccan Rif, it occurs widely between 50–1520 m a.s.l. ( Sánchez-Ortega & Azzouz 1998, Errochdi & El Alami 2008, Yasri-Cheboubi et al. 2013, Errochdi et al. 2014). This species is more eurytopic and orophilic than in Europe where the larvae are mainly burrowing at the edges of sandy streams. In the Maghreb, the larvae occupy the rhithral and part of potamal and are mainly found in April. Adult emergence begins in mid- August.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Distribution of Leuctra franzi paenibaetica, L. geniculata and L. ketamensis in the western Maghreb.