Sparbarus kabyliensis Sun & McCafferty 2008

Sparbarus kabyliensis (Soldán, 1986) Brachycercus kabyliensis Soldán, 1986 Brachycercus sp.: Dakki & El Agbani, 1983 Brachycercus sp.: Zrelli et al., 2006 MATERIAL EXAMINED: Loc. 1 (Joumine 24-X-2005). REMARKS: A recent worldwide revision of the subfamily Brachycercinae by Sun & McCafferty (2008), allows us to reconsider the former identification of some nymphs attributed to the genus Brachycercus Curtis, 1835. Our material is in perfect accordance with the diagnosis and characters of Sparbarus. In peculiar, our specimens lack a posteromedial process at the base of the operculate gills, as well as operculate gills with ventral submarginal rows, but without a longitudinal ridge in the sublateral area nor a protruding edge at the posterolateral corner. In Brachycercus, abdominal tergum II has a process at the base of the operculate gills; the posterolateral corner of the operculate gills is distinctly more developed than the posteromedial corner. Egg morphology: Length about 200µm. Shape elongate-ovate (Figs 2-3). Polar cap about one-third length of entire egg, without tubercles. Two linear micropyles per egg and a chorion with about 12 broad costae in lateral half (Figs 4-5). This species was first described from Algeria (Soldán, 1986), but was already mentioned from Morocco by Dakki & El Agbani (1983); and later from Tunisia by Zrelli et al. (006). The distribution of Sparbarus kabyliensis is restricted to a maritime humid zone of North Africa (Gagneur & Thomas, 1988). In Tunisia, this species is very rare and has been sampled in a single stream in North Tunisia, the Joumine stream (main tributary of the Ichkeul lake) situated at 90m a.s.l. This species is the only Brachycercinae so far known from North Africa.Published as part of Zrelli, Sonia, Boumaiza, Moncef, Bejaoui, Mustapha, Gattolliat, Jean-Luc & Sartori, Michel, 2011, New reports of mayflies (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) from Tunisia, pp. 3-10 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 118 (1) on pages 4-5, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.582278