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The zooplankton diversity of Helleh estuary, Busheher, Persian Gulf, and its relationship with some characteristics of water quality was investigated. Samples were taken using plankton net (mesh size of 140 µm) with vertical towing from 5 fixed-stations in mid-season from summer 2011 to spring 2012 for one year period. The mean (±SE) of biodiversity indices of Simpson, Shannon-Wiener, and Margalef were, respectively 0.84±0.10, 3.01±0.20, and 1.90±0.10 in summer; 0.63±0.06, 2.20±0.20 and 1.87±0.08 in autumn; 0.73±0.04, 2.22±0.10 and 1.43±0.10 in winter; and 0.87±0.01, 3.44±0.30, and 2.38±0.30 in spring. The seasonal zooplankton similarity based on Jaccard’s and Sørensen’s coefficients were highest (0.61 and 0.76) for summer-autumn, 0.56 and 0.72 for autumn-spring while these value were lowest for winter-autumn (0.27 and 0.43) and spring-winter (0.30 and 0.47). In addition, there were significant correlation between zooplankton density with salinity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a, Simpson and Shannon- Wiener with temperature, and Margalef with pH.

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Two different microhabitats (cropped fields versus established date-palm farms) in two different cities in Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran, were sampled monthly during 2011-2012 in order to assess the role of anthropic uses of soil on the biodiversity of oribatid mites. A total of 17 species of oribatid mites belonging to 10 families and 15 genera were identified (nine species were collected from the fields and 17 species were collected from date-palm farms). Among the collected species, Scheloribates fimbriatus with 22% relative abundance and Acrotritia ardua with 19% were dominant species. The Shannon index of species diversity and equitability was used to analyze data. Species diversity of oribatid mites and equitability were significantly greater in the date-palm farms than in the cropped fields. Time of year had no significant effect on biodiversity.  

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 The changes of biodiversity, indicator species (IS) and catch per unit effort (CPUE) of bony fishes in beach seines in Iranian waters of the Caspian Sea during 1996 to 2012 was investigated. Among the catch of 14 species/groups, kutum and mullet comprised 56.78% and 31.81% of the total catch. Minimum and maximum CPUE were 158.5±9.1 and 344.9±31.2 kg/haul and Shannon diversity was 0.57±0.02 and 0.92±0.02, respectively. There were significant differences in community composition of fishes in beach seines among three seining times (morning, afternoon and night time), three seining periods (1996-2000, 2000-2005 and 2005-2012), three regions (west, middle and east), and different seasons (in all cases MRPP, p<0.001). During 1996-2000, Rutilus rutilus, Vimba vimba, Chalcalburnus chalcoides, Aspius aspius, Barbus sp., Salmo trutta caspius and, Silurus glanis in the years 2000-2005 species/groups shads, Abramis brama and Esox lucius and in the years 2005-2012 species Cyprinus carpio and Stizostedion lucioperca were indicator species. Also, in the west region of the Caspian Sea species/groups V. vimba, C. chalcoides, A. aspius, Barbus sp., A. brama,S.lucioperca,E.lucius and S. glanis; in middle Rutilus frisii kutum, shads and S. trutta caspius and in east species/groups mullets, R. rutilus and C. carpio were identified as indicator species.

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Aims: In relation to global climate changes, the issue of how forest ecosystems could affect biomass and soil carbon sequestration is essential.
Materials & Methods: To do this research, ailanthus (Ailanthus altissima Mill.) and Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica Greene) plantations were selected each one with an area of 20 hectare in forest park of Malayer, Western Iran. An adjacent area with no tree was selected as control. In each of the plantations and control area, ten plots of 20 × 20 m² deployed and biomass of trees, biodiversity indices (Shannon–Wiener, Simpson, Menhinick, and Margalef indices), and carbon sequestration of aboveground tree biomass, belowground biomass, leaf litter, grass, and soil were measured.
Findings: The results showed that the carbon sequestration in Arizona cypress plantation (32.32 t ha⁻¹) and the soil under it (11.15 t ha⁻¹) was higher than that in ailanthus plantation and the soil under it (17.99 and 7.6 t ha⁻¹, respectively). However, the soil carbon sequestration under both plantations was higher than that in control area (5.28 t ha⁻¹). According to the results, it was found that herbaceous understory of ailanthus plantation had stored carbon more than arizona cypress plantation. Furthermore, the results indicated that there is a significant difference between two plantations from the point view of the understory plant diversity (Menhinick index in ailanthus and Arizona cypress plantations was 3.17 and 2.44, respectively).
Conclusion: This research confirms that plantation with Arizona cypress tree is more efficient in soil and tree biomass carbon sequestration than plantation with ailanthus trees. Furthermore, according to the results, the understory plant richness in ailanthus plantation was higher than that in arizona cypress.

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This study was done during 2012 to 2014 to determine the species composition of thrips on fruit trees and weeds of orchards in three counties of Qazvin Province (i.e. Buin-Zahra, Takestan and Qazvin). For each county 14 orchards were sampled. In each orchard, 10 trees and from each tree four shoots along with their leaves, flowers and fruits were selected as a sample unit. Diversity was calculated by Shannon-Wiener Index and evenness by Pielou evenness index. Species richness was estimated using the first-order jackknife richness estimator. One-way ANOVA was used to test whether there exists significant variation in species diversity, evenness and richness along the three counties. Of the 4,489 adult collected specimens from three locations, 27 species belonging to 13 genera were identified. The highest number of thrips was collected on plants of family Rosaceae, followed by Vitaceae and Moraceae, respectively. The number of collected species in Qazvin (18) and Buin-Zahra (17) counties were more than Takestan (13) county. Similar trend was observed for the total number of adult specimens collected in the three counties as more specimens were found in Qazvin and Buin-Zahra than Takestan. Results of this study showed that Thrips tabaci L. was found on all species of fruit trees and weeds. There were no significant differences among the three counties in terms of both diversity (P = 0.41) and evenness (P = 0.45). Across the counties, thrips estimated richness was higher in Qazvin county compared to Buin-Zahra and Takestan counties. Among the trees in Buin-Zahra and Takestan counties, grape had the highest thrips diversity. The highest value of diversity for Qazvin county was recorded for apricot. The polyphagous species T. tabaci was dominant in all three counties, followed by Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (in Qazvin county), Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom) (in Buin-Zahra county) and Frankliniella tenuicornis (Uzel) (in Takestan county).

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The common pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae Burckhardt & Lauterer (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is a key pest of pistachio trees in Iran. Both psyllid nymphs and adults directly damage pistachio; they extract large quantities of sap from tree and produce honeydew and cause deformation of leaves resulting in great economic damage. Little is known about the intraspecific variation of common pistachio psyllid in regions with stressed conditions, such as areas under high levels of pesticide application. Therefore, this study using geometric morphometrics was designed to 1) evaluate morphological differences in wing shape in populations under different levels of pesticide application in Kerman province as the main pistachio producer in the world, and 2) search for a link between the morphological data and previously studied molecular data. The populations were collected from regions with high and low pesticide applications. The results showed that wing shape (P< 0.01) and size (P< 0.01) are different between populations exposed to different chemical control programs. Based on the results, narrower wing shape was found in psyllid population in stressed environment (population with extreme chemical control programs). In spite of allometric growth, significant shape differences still remain when the data are adjusted to constant size, which showed the important role of genetic changes in the observed morphological changes. Moreover, links between morphologic and previously studied molecular data were revealed. Based on the results, it appears that an evolutionary resistance process is developing, therefore insecticide resistance management programs, in the regions under investigation, is recommended.

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Purpose: Scorpions in the Middle Eastern countries are known as the most widely spread poisonous creatures that cause casualties and death to human being and domestic animals. These creatures are distributed and well established in subtropical regions. Among sixteen Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf, Kish Island is the focus of important internal and foreign industrial and commercial activities, attracting, thousands of tourists willing to visit its natural beauties and site seeing places every year. The present study was carried out during 1998-99 throughout Kish Island in order to learn about the species, abundance and foci of distribution of scorpions. This was done to establish a control strategy, reduce scorpion stings, and safeguard visitors, as well as, local population. Materials and methods: Collections were made using the night search using the direct smapling method with a UV light. Result: A total of 371 scorpions were captured. These were identified as Buthotus jayakari 365 specimens (%98.38) and Buthacus leptochelys with only 6 specimens (%1.68) belonging to the Buthidae family. B. jayakari was collected in most parts of the island and was considered to be the dominant species. The sex ratio was 1:1.53 in favor of females. Whereas B. leptochelys was a rare species having a restricted distribution. Discussion: Considering the high population of B. jayakari and its wide spread distribution, it can be regarded to be responsible for the majority of scorpion-stings in Kish Island.

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In this study the biodiversity and relative abundance of Collembola was evaluated in two different ecosystems, citrus field and forest in Mazandaran province, Iran. Samples were carried out during 2016 and 2017. In each site, soil was sampled by a collecting core from 5×5 cm in surface area and a depth of 10 cm. Species richness, biodiversity and the indices of similarity were calculated. The results of T-Test showed that in two years (2016 and 2017), the values of Shannon-Wiener diversity and Simpson species diversity index were significantly different between sampling areas (Pvalue<0.05), but the values of Margalef richness and Pielou evenness index were not significantly (Pvalue˃0.05). In the year 2016, Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index, Pielou evenness and Margalef species richness in Dasht-e Naz forest were 1.92 ± 0.1, 0.83 ± 0.03, 2.01 ± 0.2 and 0.94 ± 0.04 respectively, and in citrus field were 1.44 ± 0.11, 0.73 ± 0.02, 1.46 ± 0.37 and 0.9 ± 0.03 respectively. Also, in the year 2017, Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index, Pielou evenness and Margalef species richness in Dasht-e Naz forest were 1.79 ± 0.05, 0.81 ± 0.08, 1.38 ± 0.25 and 0.94 ± 0.09 respectively, and in citrus field were 0.98 ± 0.22, 0.58 ± 0.08, 1.02 ± 0.35 and 0.95 ± 0.05 respectively. In general, the results showed that the abundance and biodiversity of Collembola in Dasht-e Naz forest was higher than in citrus field.

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The decline of biodiversity, specifically of insects is one of the major topics in conservation biology. In several countries of Europe, recent studies have shown a severe decline in species number and biomass of insects. In most countries of much higher diversity, much less is known about the state of the insect fauna. In this study, we focus on the acridid grasshoppers of Iran as an indicator taxon for diversity decline in a high diversity region. We used data of two surveys to suggest a change in species number between 1963 and after 2000. In the surveys before 1963, the species diversity across multiple localities in Iran was much higher compared to more recent faunistic studies. While this data is not statistically analyzable as the sampling is not completely comparable, the trends show a clear pattern of decline, which likely reflects the reality, conforms well to individual observations of less frequent encounters in the field and matches global patterns of insect decline. However, more standardized quantitative surveys are needed to generate statistically analyzable data. Potential reasons for the observed decline are severe draughts as a result of global climate change, habitat pollution, and destruction for construction and mining and especially overgrazing. Management actions need to be urgently put into place to stop the negative trends. Future studies need to document and test if these are taxon-specific trends or universal patterns in the region.
 

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Aims: The Zagros Mountains are a part of the 20^th global hotspot, the Irano-Anatolian biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we aim to develop a comprehensive checklist of endemic herpetofauna species in the Zagros Mountains as one of the biodiversity hotspot regions, to provide more information about this important area and the necessity of conservation programs to protect it.
Materials & Methods: The Zagros Mountains, with an area of about 533,543km², ranges from Turkey and Iraq to western and southwestern Iran along the eastern edge of the Persian Gulf. A list of endemic species has been collected from the literature review.
Findings: This region contains 3 species and 7 subspecies of endemic amphibians belonging to three genera and two families, the Salamandridae (8) and the Bufonidae (2). Neurergus and Calliopersa are endemic to this hotspot. There are 40 species and 6 subspecies of endemic reptiles belonging to 24 genera and 10 families. The families with the greatest number of endemic species are the Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae, and Colubridae. Three genera, Asaccus, Mediodactylus, and Eirenis, dominate the region, with 32 endemic taxa. There are also two endemic genera, Parsigecko and Lakigecko.
Conclusion: Many amphibians in the Zagros Mountains, especially all the species of the genus Neurergus, are categorized in IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List and CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). The habitats of the Zagros Mountains herpetofauna, especially those of endangered and endemic species, should be protected and managed to maintain or restore populations of the declining species.
 

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The aim of this study is to make an inventory of the fauna of the Odonata in Theniet El Had National Park, which helps managers to make appropriate decisions for the conservation of these species. The site is entirely forested (Cedrus and Quercus species) with numerous intra-forest natural environments (clearings, grasslands, rocky habitats, springs, pools and ponds, etc.), this mosaic of habitats harbours a remarkable wealth of fauna and flora. Our study focused on the natural and artificial temporary forest ponds, scattered throughout the park, which are of biological and ecological interest for a very wide range of insects, most notably the hemimetabola. These are characterised by a larval stage that is quite different from the adult stage in terms of habitat and lifestyle, namely odonates, where the larvae are aquatic whereas the adults have an aerial life. The inventory of odonates was carried out through monthly surveys of 8 water bodies (7 forest ponds and one hill reservoir) during one year, from March 2017 to February 2018. This preliminary inventory allowed us to inspect 240 individuals of odonates belonging to 18 species i.e. 11 genera and 5 families. The species recorded at the end of this study are the subject of a cartographic representation showing their distribution at the local scale (in the park) and at the national scale.

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A vast number of tropical and subtropical mites belong to the family Tarsonemidae Canestrini & Fanzago, 1877, with the tribe Tarsoenmini under subfamily Tarsoneminae having the most diverse assemblage. In order to better understand the distribution, community structure, and host specificity of these mites, it is important to investigate the Tarsonemini mite fauna of India, particularly in the highly biodiverse state of West Bengal. A total of 1154 mite specimens were obtained from 69 distinct plant species belonging to 44 families and distributed over six agroclimatic zones in West Bengal. The mites were classified into 8 distinct genera and 38 morphospecies. We developed bipartite trophic networks for Tarsonemini mites for the first time to show how these different communities of these mites are associated to various host plant species in six different agroclimatic zones. Different network descriptors such as Connectance, H2, Niche Overlap and Robustness were calculated from the mite-plant networks of six agroclimatic zones. Northern Hill Zone had the highest diversity followed by New Alluvial and Teesta-Terai Zone whereas, Red Laterite Zone had the least diversity of mite species. More than 70% Tarsonemini mites were found as generalist plant inhabitants which is consistent with their epiphytotic microbivorous feeding strategy.

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Puccinia tanaceti in narrow sense is reported from British Columbia for the first time. Golovinomyces asterum var. solidaginis and G. macrocarpus are also new members for mycobiota of BC. New hosts are reported for rusts and powdery mildews in BC and Canada.
 

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Adult caddisflies were collected from the spring area located in the Blinajë Hunting Reserve in Kosovo between May and September 2022. In this study, we identified 21 species belonging to 9 families of caddisflies (Goeridae, Hydropsychidae, Hydroptilidae, Limnephilidae, Philopotamidae, Polycentropodidae, Psychomyiidae, Rhyacophilidae, and Sericostomatidae). The genus Orthotrichia Eaton, 1873 and species Orthotrichia tragetti Mosely, 1930 are reported for the first time from Kosovo. Agraylea sexmaculata Curtis, 1834 is reported from Kosovo again after more than one century. Several other narrowly distributed endemic species were also identified, including Rhyacophila macedonica Karaouzas, Valladolid & Ibrahimi, 2022 and Tinodes janssensi Jacquemart, 1957. This study contributes to the knowledge of the caddisfly fauna of the Blinajë Hunting Reserve in Kosovo and highlights this area for its interesting composition of caddisfly species.

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The book "Lepidoptera Iranica" is a comprehensive and meticulously researched publication that explores the butterfly and moth fauna of Iran. Edited by Hossein Rajaei and Ole Karsholt, the book includes contributions from seventy-three Iranian and international researchers over 13 years. The book provides a historical review of lepidopterology in Iran and discusses the general patterns of Lepidoptera fauna in the country. It also estimates the number of Lepidoptera species waiting to be discovered in Iran and includes a gazetteer of elusive localities of Iranian Lepidoptera records. The final chapter is a comprehensive catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Iran, including a checklist of all 4,812 known species, as well as information and notes on their taxonomy, distribution, and biology. The book serves as an important tool for scholars, preservationists, and enthusiasts, and highlights the importance of continued research and conservation efforts in the country.

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Caddisfly sampling conducted during August 2021 from the Gurgur River in the Sabalan Mountains, Ardabil province, Iran, revealed the first record of Glossosoma unguiculatum Martynov, 1925 for Iran. Previously, this species had only been known from few localities in Turkey, the Caucasus and Kazakhstan. The morphology of male genitalia in the collected specimens generally corresponds to the described species, with the exception of a less incised ventral margin of the abdominal segment IX in ventral view, which may be attributed to geographical variability. This discovery marks the second species of the genus Glossosoma Curtis, 1834 found in Iran.

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Puccinia taeniatheri sp. nov., is newly described from Iran on Taeniatherum asperum (Poaceae) based on morphological study and rDNA ITS sequencing. An identification key for Puccinia species known on the genus Taeniatherum is provided. Re-examination of herbarium material of P. hordei on T. crinitum collected from Iraq revealed that specimen also belongs to P. taeniatheri sp. nov.

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Ants (Hym., Formicidae) have been recognized as vital components of arid ecosystems. Determining the diversity patterns of ants and the ecological factors behind these patterns is expected to improve our understanding of the functioning of arid ecosystems. Here, we explored patterns of ant species diversity and community composition along an elevational gradient (800 to 2800 m) in the arid area of Central Iran. The elevational gradient in ant diversity and the effects of environmental factors on various indices of ant diversity and species composition were investigated using generalized linear mixed models and variance partitioning analysis. We recorded 34 ant species of 12 genera and 8 tribes from 120 surveyed quadrats. Climate variables were the most important predictors of ant community structure. Indices of ant alpha diversity including Hill numbers and taxonomic diversity increased with elevation. Hill numbers were negatively influenced by temperature, while they were positively affected by precipitation. The observed diversity pattern could be explained by the diversity-productivity hypothesis. In our study area, the maximum primary productivity and consequently the maximum species diversity occurred at high elevations, where precipitation is high and temperature is lower than the extremes that could limit plant productivity. Ant assemblages are expected to become increasingly composed of warm-tolerant species in response to warmer and drier conditions driven by climate change. The distribution of species with lower heat tolerance will be limited to high-elevation areas in Central Iran. These areas could act as refuges for ants and should be considered priorities for conservation

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In this study, 32 plant samples with leaf spot symptoms were collected from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran, in the spring and summer of 2018. Isolation and purification of 26 fungal isolates were performed on 2% water agar and potato dextrose agar to identify the causal agents. Fungal species were identified according to morphological characteristics and molecular data obtained from glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpdh) gene sequences. In this research, 11 species belonging to four genera of hyphomycetous fungi, including Alternaria cantlous, A. consortialis, A. multiformis, Bipolaris sorokiniana, B. zeicola, Curvularia spicifera, C. nicotiae, C. inaequalis, Stemphylium beticola, S. symphyti, and S. vesicarium are introduced. Among them, three species, including C. nicotiae from Salvia officinalis L., S. beticola from Plantago major L., and S. symphyti from Mentha pulegium L., are reported as new records for mycobiota of Iran. All collected plant species are reported as new hosts (matrix nova) for the identified fungal taxa.