Determination of blackfly species in Kirmir Stream (Ankara, Turkey) and their seasonal distribution

This is the first study on the distribution and ecology of blackflies in the Kirmir Stream, a tributary of the Sakarya River, one of the most important rivers in Turkey. Ten study sites were sampled during three different periods (June 2022, October 2022, and January 2023) to determine the Simuliidae fauna of the Kirmir Stream. A total of 8853 specimens were collected, and eight species were identified from 30 collections. Simulium bezzii Corti, 1914 was the most abundant species, Simulium petricolum Rivosecchi, 1963 was the most frequent and common species while Simulium erythrocephalum De Geer, 1776 and Simulium angustitarse Lundstr & ouml;m, 1911 were rare species in the Kirmir Stream. Simulium pseudequinum Seguy, 1921 had the highest number of individuals in June 2022, followed by S. petricolum in October 2022, and S. bezzii in January 2023. In addition, environmental variables (water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, electrical conductivity, and current velocity) were measured at the study sites. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to analyze the relationship between blackfly species and environmental variables for the first time for the Kirmir Stream. Such studies are essential for protecting the habitat quality of the Kirmir Stream, which is influenced by domestic and agricultural pollution.