This study reports the discovery of Corythucha arcuata (Say), a species previously unrecorded in the Republic of Kosovo. Nine individuals of this species were collected from an Oak tree during the ...investigation. The findings presented in this study enhance our knowledge of the distribution of C. arcuata within the Balkan region. This discovery underscores the importance of further research to elucidate the factors governing the presence or absence of this species in specific areas. Also, herein we made a list of all known alien-invasive species to Kosovo.
Adult caddisflies were collected from the spring area located in the Blinajë Hunting Reserve in Kosovo between May and September 2022. In this study, we identified 21 species belonging to 9 families ...of caddisflies (Goeridae, Hydropsychidae, Hydroptilidae, Limnephilidae, Philopotamidae, Polycentropodidae, Psychomyiidae, Rhyacophilidae, and Sericostomatidae). The genus Orthotrichia Eaton, 1873 and species Orthotrichia tragetti Mosely, 1930 are reported for the first time from Kosovo. Agraylea sexmaculata Curtis, 1834 is reported from Kosovo again after more than one century. Several other narrowly distributed endemic species were also identified, including Rhyacophila macedonica Karaouzas, Valladolid & Ibrahimi, 2022 and Tinodes janssensi Jacquemart, 1957. This study contributes to the knowledge of the caddisfly fauna of the Blinajë Hunting Reserve in Kosovo and highlights this area for its interesting composition of caddisfly species.
The Potamophylax winneguthi species cluster comprises species with limited distribution, currently documented from Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Bulgaria. In this paper, we describe a ...new species, Potamophylax kosovaensis sp. nov., discovered in two tributaries of the Ibër River Basin, within the Kopaonik Mountains of the Republic of Kosovo. Morphologically, males of this species closely resemble those of P. idliri Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Kučinić, 2022 from Serbia's Jastrebac Mountain and P. humoinsapiens Ibrahimi & Bilalli, 2023 from the Sharr Mountains in the Republic of Kosovo. However, the new species can be distinguished by its smaller aedeagus, thicker and differently-shaped parameres, as well as distinctive patterns and elongated spines on the parameres. Notably, this species is restricted to spring areas, indicating sensitivity to water pollution and habitat degradation. Additionally, we provide a list of caddisfly species found in sympatry with the new species. Potamophylax kosovaensis sp. nov. is the third known species within the Potamophylax winneguthi species cluster, identified in the Republic of Kosovo.
The conducted study aimed to investigate the quantity and composition of municipal waste deposited in landfills in the Peja District of Kosovo over the period of 2005-2021. The study covered four ...municipalities within the district: Peja, Klina, Istog, and Deçan. A total of 705,246.7 tons of waste were deposited during the analyzed period, with the municipality of Peja depositing the largest amount (428,347.9 tons) and Deçan the smallest (67,143.6 tons). Regarding the composition of waste, the majority of municipal waste consists of biodegradable components (about 38%), followed by plastic (20 %), paper and cardboard (17 %), glass (7 %), textile (5%), diapers (3%), tetra-Pak (1.5%), metals (1%), construction materials (1%) and small waste (6.5%). This investigation contributes to municipal waste management to know the exact amount of waste produced and its composition.
Caddisfly sampling conducted during August 2021 from the Gurgur River in the Sabalan Mountains, Ardabil province, Iran, revealed the first record of Glossosoma unguiculatum Martynov, 1925 for Iran. ...Previously, this species had only been known from few localities in Turkey, the Caucasus and Kazakhstan. The morphology of male genitalia in the collected specimens generally corresponds to the described species, with the exception of a less incised ventral margin of the abdominal segment IX in ventral view, which may be attributed to geographical variability. This discovery marks the second species of the genus Glossosoma Curtis, 1834 found in Iran.
Freshwater ecosystems in Kosovo have undergone significant degradation in recent years due to various anthropogenic pressures, including sewage effluents, industrial discharge, water intakes, and ...riverbed degradation. Consequently, the populations of freshwater biota, including bioindicators, have been heavily impacted by these activities. This study provides a thorough evaluation of water quality in the main course and tributaries of the Ibër Basin, Kosovo, utilizing macroinvertebrates and benthic diatoms as bioindicators. The well-being of aquatic ecosystems is intricately tied to water quality, and these organisms serve as valuable indicators because of their sensitivity to environmental changes. Sampling of macroinvertebrates and diatoms were collected at 20 stations in the basin. Diversity, abundance, and ecological indices obtained from macroinvertebrates and benthic diatoms were employed to assess the water quality status at various sampling sites. The findings indicate variations in macroinvertebrate and benthic diatom assemblages among different sites, reflecting anthropogenic impacts on water quality in most of the studies sites. The macrozoobenthos structure during this investigation consists of one class (Gastropoda), two subclasses (Hirudinea and Oligochaeta), nine orders (Diptera, Isopoda, Coleoptera, Hirudinida, Amphipoda, Decapoda, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Plecoptera), and 26 families. The composition of diatoms includes 152 species, with the most diverse genera being Nitzschia Hassall 1845 (29 species), Navicula Bory, 1822 (18 species), and Gomphonema Ehrenberg, 1832 (9 species). The integration of biological and environmental data provides a holistic understanding of the ecological health of freshwater ecosystems of the Ibër Basin indicating severe deterioration at several of the study sites. The outcomes of this study can inform water resource management strategies, facilitating targeted conservation and remediation efforts to improve and preserve the overall water quality in the basin. This research contributes to the broader field of freshwater ecology and underscores the significance of using bioindicators for effective water quality monitoring and management.
We analyzed the municipal waste composition in three localities in southern Kosovo during 2004 and 2017. The results show that most of the municipal waste is composed by biodegradable components and ...at a lesser degree by cardboard, glass, plastic, metals etc. The presence and increase of hazardous waste in municipal containers was observed in all investigated localities. This study showed that there is no significant change in municipal waste composition in 2017 compared to 2004. This investigation through a case study in Prizren Municipality is a contribution to the municipal waste management in Kosovo. It highlights the importance of including the registration of individual and organized cardboard, metal and plastic operators into the municipal waste management system, in order to know the exact amount of waste produced per capita. It also emphasizes the importance of organizing separate containers for hazardous waste due to possible significant environmental and health problems.
The Sharr Mountains are one of the most important hotspots of terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity in the Balkan Peninsula, with many endemic and rare species. The caddisfly studies in this area ...increased during the past years, although insufficiently investigated areas still remain.
In this paper, we describe a new species,
Potamophylax humoinsapiens
sp. n. from the Sharr Mountains in the Republic of Kosovo, which is morphologically closest to
Potamophylax idliri
Ibrahimi, Bilalli & Kučinić, 2022 and
Potamophylax juliani
Kumanski, 1999. The males of the new species differ from all known species of the
Potamophylax winneguthi
Species Group by their uniquely-shaped parameres, which are long, bulbous in their basal half and thin in the remaining length, with a bunch of very thin and long, hair-like spines, grouped uniformly at the apex. The new species further differs from its most similar congeners by its very wide distance between the dorsal and ventral edges of the apical part of inferior appendages in lateral view. The new species was found at three localities from 1416 to 1505 m a.s.l.
Similar to the other species of the
Potamophylax winneguthi
Species Group, which have very narrow distribution areas, we posit that
Potamophylax humoinsapiens
sp. n. is a microendemic of the Sharr Mountains. The new species is the second known caddisfly species occurring only in the Kosovan part of the Sharr Mountains.
During August and September 2018 we collected the macroinvertebrate fauna in the Leqinat Lake, Kosovo. The Leqinat lake (great lake) is a mountain lake found in National Park "Bjeshkët e Nemuna" in ...western Kosovo, shared between Kosovo and Montenegro. Macrozoobenthos specimens were collected with D-frame net of 30 x 20 cm (600 cm2) diameter. Samples were taken from all available habitats represented with more than 5% of total habitat area on the sampling stretch (multi-habitat sampling procedure). Sampling in riffle section of the lake was done by identifying the riffle segments, disturbing the substratum with the feet while holding the net downstream with the mouth facing upstream. The macrozoobenthos structure during this investigation includes: 2 classes (Bivalvia and Gastropoda), 2 subclasses (Hirudinea and Oligochaeta), 6 orders (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Odonata), 15 families, 6 genera and 86 specimens. The larger number of families and individuals belongs to the Odonata order (4 family and 47 specimens) followed Tirchoptera (2 family and 10 specimens), Plecoptera (2 family and 6 specimens), Bivalvia (2 family with 5 specimens) Diptera (1 family with 12 specimens), Ephemeroptera and Hirudinea (1 family with 3 specimens) and Oligochaeta (1 family with only specimens). This investigation is a contribution in knowing the macroinvertebrate fauna and their ecological patterns in alpine lakes in Kosovo.
During the spring of 2011, forty-five macrozoobenthos samples were taken from streams and rivers all over the Dragash Municipality in order to assess the impact of inhabited areas in these freshwater ...ecosystems, considering the fact that there is no sewage treatment and waste management is dysfunctional in many parts of this Municipality. On the basis of the habitat structure evaluation, basic physical and chemical analysis and Family Biotic Index according to Hilsenhoff and EPT Index (Ephemeroptera Plecoptera Trichoptera), this study shows that the freshwater ecosystems in the Dragash Municipality are heavily polluted and impacted by human activities in their midstream and downstream segments. The main sources that deteriorate their natural ecological conditions in these segments are: load of all kinds of waste directly into the rivers and streams, industrial discharge into the freshwater ecosystems and the direct sewage discharge into the rivers and streams all over the municipality. This study also shows that the freshwater ecosystems of the area in their upper reaches are home to very interesting and rare composition of aquatic fauna. Several species and many potential ones which live only in this area and nowhere in Kosovo or abroad, or their distribution elsewhere is very limited, have been found.
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