Abstract
A total of nine families of Trichoptera were identified from material collected in Malaise and light traps in the western part of Nyungwe National Park, southwestern Rwanda, late October 2018. Included in the material was an undescribed species of Pisuliidae which is described herein as Silvatares laetae Ngirinshuti & Johanson sp. nov. The new species adds to the six Pisuliidae species previously recorded for the East African region, five endemic to Tanzania and one to Uganda. This study portrays the first results of an ongoing survey on the Trichoptera fauna of Rwanda.
Highlights
Trichoptera are important components of freshwater communities and their species composition and population dynamics provide information on the health of aquatic ecosystems (de Moor & Ivanov 2008; Stoyanova et al 2014; Shimba & Jonah 2016)
Nyungwe National Park covers a tropical montane rainforest located in the southwest of Rwanda, roughly at 2°17′–2°50′ S and 29°07′–29°26′ E (Fashing et al 2007; Gross-Camp et al 2009)
The national park is known for housing a high diversity of birds and primates
Summary
Trichoptera (caddisflies) are important components of freshwater communities and their species composition and population dynamics provide information on the health of aquatic ecosystems (de Moor & Ivanov 2008; Stoyanova et al 2014; Shimba & Jonah 2016). The group is found in a wide range of water bodies present in all biogeographical regions except the Antarctica (Morse 2011) Their evolutionary success can be attributed to the production of silk by the larvae, which is used for construction of portable cases, filtering nets or fixed shelters (Holzenthal et al 2007; de Moor & Ivanov 2008; Malm et al 2013; Holzenthal & Calor 2017). These constructions enable them to adapt and benefit from a great variety of environmental resources (Mackay & Wiggins 1979). They are indispensable in the lives of the larvae for protection against predators, feeding, and stability in violent water current (Ross 1944; Marlier 1962; Malm et al 2013).
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