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Issue: Vol. 5821 No. 4: 3 Jun. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-06-03
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5821.4.11
Page range: 587-599
Abstract views: 17
PDF downloaded: 0

Uncovering the caddisfly fauna of Iraq (Insecta: Trichoptera): two new species and new records from Iraqi Kurdistan

Department of Biology; College of Science; University of Sulaimani; Sulaymaniyah; Kurdistan Region; Iraq; Department of Forest Ecology; Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology; University of Mendel; Brno; Czechia
University of Prishtina; Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences; Department of Biology; Prishtinë; Republic of Kosovo
Trichoptera Psilopterna Hydropsyche Stenophylax Middle East autumnal caddisflies microscale endemism West Palearctic

Abstract

The caddisfly fauna of Iraq remains one of the least studied in the Middle East, with only five species recorded to date. In this paper, we report two genera, i.e., Psilopterna Martynov 1914 and Stenophylax Kolenati 1848, for the first time from Iraq. Furthermore, we describe two new species, Hydropsyche kurdica sp. nov. and Stenophylax kurdistanicus sp. nov., based on males collected from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. In addition, we discuss the occurrence of Hydropsyche consanguinea McLachlan 1884 in the country. The discovery of two new species and additional faunistic records highlights the need for further taxonomic and ecological studies of Iraqi freshwater ecosystems, which are likely to harbor interesting aquatic insect diversity.

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How to Cite

Khudhur, F.A. & Ibrahimi, H. (2026) Uncovering the caddisfly fauna of Iraq (Insecta: Trichoptera): two new species and new records from Iraqi Kurdistan. Zootaxa, 5821 (4), 587–599. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5821.4.11