Distribution of two rare taxa of caddisflies (Trichoptera: Rhyacophilidae, Polycentropodidae) from the Republic of Kosovo

Abstract

The knowledge about distribution, ecology and species composition of caddisflies of the Balkan Peninsula is still not complete. The ongoing investigations of the last years highlight this area as an important hotspot of caddisfly diversity. Polycentropus ierapetra slovenica has been considered a narrow range endemic of Slovenia and surrounding areas. Rhyacophila aurata, a species known from many parts of Europe, according to the current knowledge, is absent from a large part of the Balkan Peninsula. In this paper, we present records of these two rare taxa of Trichoptera from the Republic of Kosovo with exact distribution data, based on sampling carried out randomly during 2014 and 2017. Polycentropus ierapetra slovenica was found in several streams in Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains and Karadak Mountains. Rhyacophila aurata was found during this investigation at a single locality in Bjeshkët e Nemuna Mountains. The unexpected finding of these two taxa in Kosovo greatly enlarges their known distribution area and makes a contribution towards the better knowledge of distributional patterns of these rare taxa of caddisflies in this part of Europe.