# Simuliids (Diptera: Simuliidae) from Eastern Andalusia (Spain): Update and New Contributions

## TL;DR

This study updates the list of blackfly species in Eastern Andalusia, Spain, and reports three new species in Granada, enhancing understanding of their biodiversity and altitudinal distribution.

## Contribution

The study reports three new blackfly species in Granada and expands the altitudinal ranges of existing species in the region.

## Key findings

- Three new blackfly species were recorded in Granada: Simulium brevidens, Simulium quasidecolletum, and Simulium trifasciatum.
- The altitudinal ranges of Simulium equinum, Simulium lineatum, and Simulium urbanum were extended.
- The region's blackfly diversity is richer than previously recognized, with the species count increasing from 25 to 28.

## Abstract

Blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) represent an ecologically and medically significant family of hematophagous insects. The present study aims to enhance understanding of blackfly biodiversity in the mountainous regions of Almería, Granada, and Jaén, South-eastern Spain, with particular emphasis on species diversity and altitudinal distribution patterns. Researchers examined and sampled 24 stream sites and identified blackfly larvae and pupae using morphological features. Consequently, the list of species known from the region has been updated, registering 16 species in this study and discovering three species not previously recorded for Granada, —Simulium brevidens Rubtsov, 1956, Simulium quasidecolletum Crosskey, 1988, and Simulium trifasciatum Curtis, 1839, —thus increasing the total number of known species for the three provinces from 25 to 28. The majority of blackfly species were recorded within their previously known altitudinal range, but in the case of the species Simulium equinum (Linnaeus, 1758), Simulium lineatum (Meigen, 1804), and Simulium urbanum Davies, 1966, their altitudinal ranges were extended. Among the newly recorded species, S. quasidecolletum had a narrow altitudinal range (419 m), whereas S. brevidens and S. trifasciatum were recorded only at one site. The studied mountains host a richer and more diverse blackfly community than previously recognised, and further research is desirable.

This study enhances and improves the current knowledge of blackfly diversity in the mountainous regions of Eastern Andalusia, with a focus on how simuliid species are distributed through altitude. It provides an updated checklist of species recorded in the provinces of Almería, Granada, and Jaén, by integrating published data with new records from the field. This study identified 16 blackfly species based on morphological criteria, increasing the number of known simuliid species in the region from 25 to 28. Three species—Simulium brevidens (Rubtsov, 1956), Simulium quasidecolletum Crosskey, 1988, and Simulium trifasciatum Curtis, 1839—are reported in Granada for the first time. Most of the species were recorded within their previously known altitudinal range; however, Simulium equinum (Linnaeus, 1758) and Simulium lineatum (Meigen, 1804) were found at higher elevations, and Simulium urbanum (Davies, 1966), at lower elevations, resulting in extensions of their known altitudinal ranges. The newly recorded species S. quasidecolletum had a narrow altitudinal range (419 m); S. brevidens and S. trifasciatum were recorded only at one site. The study offers a comprehensive and updated picture of species richness and altitudinal ecology of blackflies in South-eastern Spain.