Survey and repartition of Odonatofauna in the lotic and lentic waters of the Djurdjura and Soumman regions of Kabylia (North Central Algeria)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the Odonata fauna structure and composition in Kabylia’s wetlands (central north Algeria) by sampling 36 potential sites (16 wadis and 20 water reservoirs) in the two main departments of this region, namely, the Kabylia of Djurdjura (Tizi Ouzou) and the Kabylia of Soummam (Bejaia). This region has one of the most important hydrographic systems in Algeria and a wide range of exceptional wetlands due to its important rainfall regime. A lack of studies, especially in the western part of the region (Tizi Ouzou), prompts a specific inventory and ecological analysis of the Odonata population over a period of 6 months (from April to September 2021). Forty species of Odonata have been recorded in Kabylia, of which Pyrrhosoma nymphula represents a new record for Algeria, raising the reference list to 64 species. There are four northern African endemic species and among these, we report on the rediscovery of the critically endangered (EN) Calopteryx exul in Algeria, recorded in the 19th century and deemed to have been extinct after an absence of more than a century; Gomphus lucasii is assessed as vulnerable (VU) and Enallagma deserti and Platycnemis subdilatata are judged as least concern (LC).

Keywords

• north africa
• elevation gradients
• odonata
• wetlands
• distribution