First records for benthic macroinvertebrate fauna in Güzeldere Waterfall, Turkey

Abstract

In this paper, the benthic macroinvertebrate fauna of the Güzeldere Stream and Waterfall were investigated. Samples were collected in October 2020 at 3 stations. A total of 41 taxa including Gastropoda, Oligochaeta (9 species), Ephemeroptera (7 species), Odonata, Coleoptera, Chironomidae (15 species), Simuliidae, Blephariceridae (2 species), Plecoptera (3 species), and Trichoptera (1 species) were identified in the area. The dominant taxon was Chironomidae at all three stations followed by Oligochaeta and Ephemeroptera, respectively. The second station had the highest individual numbers (195) and the highest species diversity (32). All of the identified taxa were the first records for the study area because there have been no studies conducted for the determination of the Güzeldere Stream and Waterfall.