Document Type : Review Paper
Authors
1
Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, Eberswalder Str. 90, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
2
Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1–9, 24118 Kiel, Germany
3
465 Morrill Hall, 505 S Goodwin Ave., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign: Urbana, Illinois, US 61801
4
Soil Biodiversity Group, Department of Entomology,The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
5
Laboratory of Insect Systematics, Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab., 1, 199034 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
6
Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (UMR 7205), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE-PSL, UA, Paris F-75005, France
10.48311/jibs.12.02.357
Abstract
This work presents a comprehensive review of the insect orders Mantodea (praying mantises), Blattodea (cockroaches and termites), and Phasmatodea (stick insects) in Iran, based on literature, national checklists, and global taxonomic databases to develop an up-to-date faunistic inventory. Following the most recent accepted classifications, the review documents a total of three orders, 20 families, 44 genera, and 104 species. This includes 9 families and 19 genera, and 33 species of Mantodea, 10 families and 23 genera, and 65 species of Blattodea (including termites), and one family with two genera and 5 species of Phasmatodea. Among these groups, Mantodea is the most thoroughly documented, while Phasmatodea remains poorly studied, with only five species recorded to date. Integrating up-to-date taxonomic data is essential for resolving inconsistencies in older or unverified records and establishing a reliable baseline for biogeographical analysis, conservation planning, and the management of both native and invasive species. Especially for Phasmatodea, it is clear that the taxonomy of the Iranian fauna needs further study, both to reveal still undocumented diversity and to clarify the higher‑level placement of the lineages occurring in Iran. Continued field surveys and integrative taxonomic research are crucial for fully documenting the diversity of these insect groups across Iran’s varied habitats.
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