Rare and fragile creature found sheltering in the gloom of a mountain stream in Kosovo

A team of scientists has uncovered a new species of caddisfly in a small, shaded tributary of the Lumbardhi i Deçanit River, deep within Kosovo’s Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park.

The minute aquatic insect, with wings measuring less than 5mm in length, has been named Tinodes lumbardhi, honouring the local Albanian term for the river, 'Lumbardhi', which translates to ‘the white river’.

“The discovery of Tinodes lumbardhi is both a celebration of Kosovo’s unique natural heritage and a wake-up call for conservation,” says Professor Halil Ibrahimi from the University of Prishtina, who led the research. "The survival of these species depends on our ability to protect their fragile habitats.”

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Bjeshkët e Nemuna, a remote mountainous region extending from northern Albania through western Kosovo to north-eastern Montenegro, is a biodiversity hotspot, home to several rare and endemic species. The area is particularly rich in caddisflies, which play a key role in freshwater ecosystems – not least as an important food source for fish.

However, human activities – particularly the construction of hydropower plants – are putting significant pressure on these habitats, say the researchers. Hydropower projects, as well as pollution and excessive water extraction have severely damaged parts of the Lumbardhi i Deçanit River, depleting insect populations and leading to a noticeable decline in fish numbers.

In recent years, research by Ibrahimi and his team has led to the discovery of several new caddisfly species, including Potamophylax kosovaensis and Potamophylax coronavirus. “Protecting these rare species and their habitats is not only a moral imperative but also a crucial step toward sustaining the ecological integrity of Kosovo’s freshwater systems,” concludes Ibrahimi.

Find out more about the study: Tinodes lumbardhi sp. nov. (Trichoptera, Psychomyiidae), a new species from the Lumbardhi i Deçanit River in Kosovo

Main image: riverbed (not the river featured in the study)/Getty

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