Simulium (Wilhelmia) pseudequinum Séguy

Cherairia, Mouna, Adler, Peter H. & Samraoui, Boudjéma, 2014, Biodiversity and Bionomics of the Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Northeastern Algeria, Zootaxa 3796 (1), pp. 166-174 : 172

Simulium (Wilhelmia) pseudequinum Séguy

Simulium pseudequinum was the most abundant and frequently encountered species in the Seybouse Basin. It was one of the first species recorded from Algeria, based on collections in the area of Algiers, Batna, Biskra, Bouira, and Constantine ( Edwards 1923). Subsequent records were provided by Gagneur & Clergue-Gazeau (1988), Lounaci et al. (2000a, b), and Chaoui Boudghane-Bendiouis et al. (2012). It was collected at all but 2 of 31 sites, from 14 m to 852 m asl, but was particularly common in larger rivers of the plains. Larvae and pupae were most common on rocky substrates, but also were found on submerged plants and small pebbles. They occupied flows with nearly imperceptible current up to 2.5 m /s, temperatures from 9° to 31°C, and high conductivity (up to 3790 µS/cm). Simulium pseudequinum was mutivoltine, occurring year round. Its abundance, occurrence in diverse habitats, and broad geographical range are hallmarks of a species complex, although this hypothesis has never been tested. Alternatively, S. pseudequinum might be a single species in Algeria, capable of exploiting anthropogenically influenced habitats, which represent the majority of habitats in the Seybouse Basin.

Sites: 1–6, 8–18, 20–31.