Tag: Kosovo

Potamophylax kosovaensis, a new insect species from Kosovo that is already endangered

The country’s natural wealth is under threat by manmade pressures such as water pollution, littering, and the construction of hydropower plants.

Over the last few years, professor Halil Ibrahimi from Kosovo and his team have described several new species of aquatic insects revered as bioindicators of freshwater ecosystems. However, the celebration of these discoveries is tempered by alarming concerns: the newfound species are often already considered endangered, as per the criteria set forth by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as soon as they are described. This classification underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts to safeguard their existence.

The research team just discovered a new species, named Potamophylax kosovaensis, in the spring area of the Llap River, nestled within the Ibër River Basin. The region, known for its ecological significance, serves as a critical habitat for numerous aquatic organisms like newly discovered insect species.

Unfortunately, these freshwater insects are facing unprecedented threats in Kosovo and the broader Balkans region. Anthropogenic pressures, such as water pollution, littering, and the construction of hydropower plants, pose imminent risks to their survival. The degradation of their habitats not only jeopardizes their existence, but also undermines the health and integrity of entire freshwater ecosystems.

Spring area of the Llap river in Kosovo. — Spring area of the Llap river, from where the new species, *Potamophylax kosovaensis* was found.

Professor Ibrahimi emphasizes on the importance of urgent action to mitigate these threats and conserve this delicate balance of freshwater biodiversity. “The discovery of Potamophylax kosovaensis serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of our freshwater ecosystems,” he states. “We must prioritize efforts to protect these habitats and the invaluable species they harbor.”

A polluted waterway in Kosovo. — Anthropogenic pressures in freshwater ecosystems in Kosovo endangering rich aquatic biodiversity.

A polluted natural area in Kosovo. — Anthropogenic pressures in freshwater ecosystems in Kosovo endangering rich aquatic biodiversity.

The study was financed by the Integrated Water Resource Management in Kosovo (IWRM-K) and was conducted in the Laboratory of Zoology-Department of Biology of the University of Prishtina. It was published in the open-access, peer-reviewed Biodiversity Data Journal.

Research article:

Ibrahimi H, Bilalli A, Geci D, Grapci Kotori L (2024) Potamophylax kosovaensis sp. nov. (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae), a new species of the Potamophylax winneguthi species cluster from the Ibër River Basin in Kosovo. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e121454. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e121454

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Pandemic-inspired discoveries: New insect species from Kosovo named after the Coronavirus

While the new Coronavirus will, hopefully, be effectively controlled sooner rather than later, its latest namesake is here to stay – a small caddisfly endemic to a national park in Kosovo that is new to science.

The new species *Potamophylax coronavirus*

Potamophylax coronavirus was collected near a stream in the Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park in Kosovo by a team of scientists, led by Professor Halil Ibrahimi of the University of Prishtina. After molecular and morphological analyses, it was described as a caddisfly species, new to science in the open-access, peer-reviewed Biodiversity Data Journal.

Male and female of the new species *Potamophylax coronavirus,* in copulation. Photo by Halil Ibrahimi

Ironically, the study of this new insect was impacted by the same pandemic that inspired its scientific name. Although it was collected a few years ago, the new species was only described during the global pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2. Its name, P. coronavirus, will be an eternal memory of this difficult period.

The locality where P. coronavirus was discovered. Photo by Halil Ibrahimi and Astrit Bilalli

In a broader sense, the authors also wish to bring attention to “another silent pandemic occurring on freshwater organisms in Kosovo’s rivers,” caused by the pollution and degradation of freshwater habitats, as well as the activity increasing in recent years of mismanaged hydropower plants. Particularly, the river basin of the Lumbardhi i Deçanit River, where the new species was discovered, has turned into a ‘battlefield’ for scientists and civil society on one side and the management of the hydropower plant operating on this river on the other.

The small insect order of Trichoptera, where P. coronavirus belongs, is very sensitive to water pollution and habitat deterioration. The authors of the new species argue that it is a small-scale endemic taxon, very sensitive to the ongoing activities in Lumbardhi i Deçanit river. Failure to understand this may drive this and many other species towards extinction.

Interestingly, in the same paper, the authors also identified a few other new species from isolated habitats in the Balkan Peninsula, which are awaiting description upon collection of further specimens. The Western Balkans and especially Kosovo, have proved to be an important hotspot of freshwater biodiversity. Several new insect species have been discovered there in the past few years, most of them being described by Professor Halil Ibrahimi and his team.

New caddisfly species discovered in the Balkan biodiversity hotspot of Kosovo

The Republic of Kosovo turns out to be a unique European biodiversity hotspot after a second new species of aquatic insect has been described from the Balkan country. The new caddisfly was discovered by Prof. Halil Ibrahimi from the University of Prishtina, Kosovo, and international research team. They have their finding published in the open-access journal ZooKeys.

The new caddisfly species was found during a field trip, undertaken by the scientists in Sharr National Park in Kosovo. The aquatic insect belongs to the highly diverse genusDrusus, which, unfortunately, is under threat of extinction because of the ongoing pollution activities and mismanagement of freshwater ecosystems.

Called Drusus sharrensis, the new caddisfly has been named after the mountains where it was found. Thus, it is yet another example for a species, either animal or plant, bearing the same combination of names, and highlighting this range of mountains as a highly rich in rare and endemic species.

“Even though just discovered, the species may be already threatened by illegal logging, water extraction from springs, expansion of touristic activities and several other anthropogenic factors,” points out the author, “such as limestone and rock quarries operating in the Sharr Mountains in the vicinity of aquatic ecosystems potentially causing severe siltation.”

“Additionally, recent development of a winter tourism facility at Brezovice, close to the type locality of the new species, may enhance local degradation of terrestrial and, particularly, aquatic ecosystems in the Sharr Mountains,” he further explains. “The Brezovica Touristic Centre Development Project was designed by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo with support from the European Union to promote the touristic appeal and thus, economic importance of the area. This project will impact a total area of roughly 3,700 ha.”

This is the second aquatic insect species discovered from Kosovo for the last twelve months and probably more are to be expected in this highly under-investigated area of the European continent.

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Original source:

Ibrahimi H, Vitecek S, Previši? A, Kučini? M, Waringer J, Graf W, Balint M, Keresztes L, Pauls SU (2016) Drusus sharrensis sp. n. (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae), a new species from Sharr National Park in Kosovo, with molecular and ecological notes. ZooKeys 559: 107-124. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.559.6350