Study of a madicolous fauna from Guadeloupe: complements to the knowledge of the caddisflies (Trichoptera) from the island

Studies of the madicolous (hygropetric s.l.) fauna in the tropics are limit ed. In Guadeloupe a large typical madicolous habitat in the Massif de la So ufriere was studied. Its fauna comprises a number of eumadicolous, or at le ast madicophilic, elements : Hydrachnellae, Diptera and especially caddisfl ies. Several of the 10 caddisfly species belonging to these categories are either new for the fauna of Guadeloupe, or represented by newly described f emales of species not identifiable for the time being; the most remarkable case is that of two strictly coexisting species of Byrsopteryx (one describ ed as new), readily distinguished by their wing pattern and abdominal tergi tes structure, the male genitalia being apparently identical. The caddisfli es of 4 water courses belonging to different zones was sampled by UV light, which enables some comparisons. For two endemic species additional informa tion is made available. At present 47 caddisfly species are known from Guad eloupe.