New data on the dragonfly fauna of the Moulouya River Basin and the Oriental Region, Morocco (Odonata)

Study Extent

Morocco is currently divided into 12 regions, including the Oriental Region (Fig. 1), which occupies almost all the eastern side of the country and covers an area of 88 681 km2 (see Taybi et al., 2017b for details). The Oriental Region includes the wilaya of Oujda (Oujda-Angad prefecture) and the provinces of Berkane, Driouch, Figuig, Guercif, Jerada, Nador and Taourirt. The watershed of the Moulouya (Fig. 1), which includes nearly 43 412 km2 of eastern Morocco, covers much of the Oriental Region. With a length of 600 km, the Moulouya is the largest Moroccan river and flows into the Mediterranean. Its main tributaries are the Oueds Ansegmir, Melloulou, Za and Msoun, all permanent. Other tributaries are presently intermittent (3–5 flash floods on average per year) (Bensaad et al., 2017; Mabrouki et al., 2017b).

Sampling

uring field surveys conducted from 2014 to 2018 more than 100 localities were investigated in the Moulouya River basin and the Oriental Region (see Appendix for the complete list of localities). Most of these sampling sites were visited at least three times.

Method steps

1. The samples of benthic fauna (including Odonata larvae) were collected using kick nets and landing nets, exuviae were collected from the riparian and shoreline vegetation using clamps, and adults were caught by entomological hand nets. Samples were identified to species level, placed in labelled tubes with 70 % or 96 % ethanol, and deposited in the collections of aquatic macroinvertebrates at the Laboratory of Water Sciences, Environment and Sustainable Development of the University Mohammed Premier from Oujda (Morocco). Most of the adults were identified in the field and released soon after.

Dragonfly fauna of the Moulouya River Basin and the Oriental Region, Morocco

1. Family Calopterygidae
   rank: family
2. Family Lestidae
   rank: family
3. Family Coenagrionidae
   rank: family
4. Family Platycnemididae
   rank: family
5. Family Aeshnidae
   rank: family
6. Family Gomphidae
   rank: family
7. Family Cordulegastridae
   rank: family
8. Family Libellulidae
   rank: family

Morocco is currently divided into 12 regions, including the Oriental Region, which occupies almost all the eastern side of the country and covers an area of 88 681 km2 (see Taybi et al., 2017b for details). The Oriental Region includes the wilaya of Oujda (Oujda-Angad prefecture) and the provinces of Berkane, Driouch, Figuig, Guercif, Jerada, Nador and Taourirt. The watershed of the Moulouya, which includes nearly 43 412 km2 of eastern Morocco, covers much of the Oriental Region. With a length of 600 km, the Moulouya is the largest Moroccan river and flows into the Mediterranean. Its main tributaries are the Oueds Ansegmir, Melloulou, Za and Msoun, all permanent. Other tributaries are presently intermittent (3–5 flash floods on average per year) (Bensaad et al., 2017; Mabrouki et al., 2017b).