Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum

This study aimed to identify and describe one of the bacterial feeder nematode Acrobeloides varius Kim, Kim and Park, 2017 (Rhabditida, Cephalobidae), which was isolated from soil samples that were collected from Baghdad, central of Iraq, and was classified using both morphological and molecular criteria. All specimens of A. varius were cultured, identified and described using morphometric criteria. Selected specimens (Zah. IRQ3 OR994579.1 isolate) of this species were characterized by having the body length of the male ranging from (184.94 – 221.72 μm), the body length of the female ranging (507.38 – 521.92 μm) and the body length of the juvenile ranging from (355.53 – 490.35 μm). Selected specimens of this species were molecularly characterized using the partial 18S rRNA gene sequences. The 18S-rRNA sequence of Zah. IRQ3 OR994579.1 isolate had a range of (100%) sequence homology with the 18S rRNA sequence of A. varius available in the NCBI database. A phylogenetic tree was created to separate this species from closely related genera and species. A. varius Zah. IRQ3 OR994579.1 isolate represents the first record of this species in Iraq.

The present work aims to study the embryonic development of forebrain (Cerebrum) of a white-cheeked bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis (Gould, 1839) (Aves, Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae). Specimens for embryonic development were processed for paraffin embedding and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for histological study. The forebrain incubation consists of three layers, ependymal, mantle and marginal. The thickness of telencephalon was 43 μm while the thickness of diencephalon was 37 μm in an embryo of 48 hours incubation. The telencephalon consisted of two vesicles called cerebral hemispheres. The thickness of the telencephalon wall was 57 μm. The cerebral hemispheres in the embryo at 72 hours of incubation were differentiated, and the average thickness was 97 μm. The cerebral hemispheres contained two lateral ventricles, including right and left ventricles

The conservation for biodiversity in Iraqi freshwater environments is important to protecting native species from the environmental impacts of alien species. Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) (Siluriformes, Clariidae) has been recognized as an alien species in Iraqi water bodies. This study aims to use molecular DNA to identify this catfish and trace its origins using. The DNA sequences of C. gariepinus were done using the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene, and a specific primer set. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was used to align the COI gene as a barcoding marker. After analysis, the sequences were compared with sequences in the National Center for Biology Information (NCBI) database using BLAST. Molecular analysis and genetic sequence reconstruction revealed that the COI gene is instrumental in the genetic identification of C. gariepinus. The phylogenetic tree indicated a close genetic link between the Iraqi samples and populations from China and North Korea, suggesting that these may represent the closest known lineages to the origin of this species in Iraq. The findings showed that the selected COI gene is a reliable indicator for tracking the origin of alien catfish populations in the Iraqi environment. This study contributes to the development of molecular detection of alien species in Iraq. The accession numbers LC868421 and LC868422 were employed to submit the sequences to the NCBI GenBank database.

The new pelecypod Sinanodonta lauta (Martens, 1877) (Bivalvia, Unionida, Unionidae), represented by specimens collected from seven sites on both banks of the Euphrates River (NW of Basrah Province), was recorded for the first time in southern Iraq. The following was the analysis to recognize the sediments at these sites and also of the different species shells in the area. It was found that the mud sediment was the most common compared to silt and sandy mud sediments. Two pelecypod species were recognized in the study region, Sinanodonta woodiana (Lea, 1834) and S. lauta (Martens, 1877), and one species of barnacles Amphibalanus subalbidus (Henry, 1973) (Maxillopoda, Sessilia, Balanidae). The presence of such species indicates that the area has already experienced an environmental change which occurred in the Late Holocene, when all such species were introduced from the outside the native ecosystem.

Invasive bird species pose a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystems worldwide. In Iraq, non-native avifaunal species are increasing, leading to various environmental challenges. This study aims to evaluate the risk of invasiveness and potential impacts of four non-native, extant bird species on Iraq's biodiversity under both current and predicted climate change conditions. Surveys were conducted in November 2023 and 2024 on four non-native bird species present in local animal markets throughout Iraq. The study sites included the provinces of Baghdad, Basra, and Erbil, which harbour commercial centres and the largest local animal markets in the country for trading non-native species. In this study, the target species for screening were selected after an extensive literature search and review of non-native bird species in Iraq. Using the Terrestrial Animal Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (TAS-ISK), this study evaluated the potential risk of invasiveness in Iraq of four of these non-native bird species: bank myna Acridotheres ginginianus Latham, 1790, common myna Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766), Namaqua dove Oena capensis (Linnaeus, 1766), and rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769). The findings revealed that for commercial, environmental, and species or population nuisance traits, A. tristis and P. krameri pose a high risk of invasiveness, whereas A. ginginianus and O. capensis pose a medium risk. The present results highlight the need to include these species in decision-making and management programmes to mitigate their impacts on Iraq's biodiversity.

The present study reports the first record of the snakefly, family Inocelliidae (Order Raphidioptera) from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A specimen identified as Parainocellia ressli (Aspöck & Aspöck, 1965) was collected during field surveys in northern Iraq. This record fills a significant distributional gap between populations in Anatolia (Turkey) and western Iran, thereby extending the known range of Inocelliidae within the Western Palearctic. The finding underscores the role of the Zagros Mountains as a biogeographical corridor linking Euro-Siberian, Pontocaspian-Iranian, and Syro-Mesopotamian faunal elements. Given the relictual nature and poor dispersal ability of snakeflies, this discovery highlights the persistence of temperate forest refugia in northern Iraq and emphasizes the Palearctic affinities of its entomofauna. Further targeted surveys are essential to document the diversity and ecological significance of Raphidioptera in Iraq.

Tardigrada is a phylum that has never been studied in Armenia, along with many other arthropod groups. Our research is about terrestrial tardigrade species. This study is the first paper on tardigrades from Armenia. Six species of tardigrade were identified, belonging to five genera: Macrobiotus hufelandi C.A.S. Schultze, 1834; Paramacrobiotus areolatus (Murray, 1907); Paramacrobiotus richtersi (Murray, 1911); Ramazzottius cf. oberhaeuseri (Doyère, 1840); Milnesium tardigradum Doyère, 1840; and Echiniscus testudo (Doyère, 1840), which are present in lichen and moss from the northern forests of Tavush Province in Armenia. All the mentioned are new to the fauna of Armenia.

This investigation is the first of its kind in this reservoir for more than three decades, it
aimed at evaluating the diversity, abundance, and spatiotemporal variations of rotifers in the
Samarra dam during 2023. Three distinct sampling stations were selected to ensure a
comprehensive coverage of the dam. The first station was located just below the river\'s
entrance to the dam. The second station was situated near the Samarra Barrage, while the third
was positioned close to the Tharthar Regulator. Fifty-seven taxa from fourteen families of
rotifers were identified, classified into three orders: Ploima, Flosculariaceae, and Bdelloida,
under the Eurotatoria class. Most abundant taxa were Synchaeta oblonga Ehrenberg,1832,
Rotaria neptunia (Ehreberg,1830), Euchlanis dilatata Ehrenberg, 1832, Polyarthra
dolichoptera Idelson,1925, Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas, 1766 (long and short spine), B.
urceolaris Müller, 1773, and Keratella cochlearis (Gosse, 1851). Minimum and maximum
densities were in winter and spring, respectively. Mean values for richness, evenness and
diversity indices were 5.18, 4.75 and 6.37; 0.8, 1.8 and 0.8; 2.2, 1.8 and 2.4 bits/ind. At
stations 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Seasonally, the highest and lowest values of evenness and
diversity indices were in summer and winter, respectively, while the richness index it was
observed in autumn and spring seasons. Also, the highest similarity index value was 68.78%
between first and third stations. Whereas the largest difference of species composition
observed between second and third stations reached 7.76%.

Thecurrentstudy represents a comprehensive morphological and molecular characterization of Limnatis paluda(Tennent, 1859) (Clitellata, Arhynchobdellida, Praobdellidae), collected from five freshwater springs in the Taqtaq District of Erbil Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Most prior research on this species has predominantly concentrated on the study of morphological data. DNA sequencing is often advantageous in taxonomy, as it yields information not obtained from morphological studies. The primary objective was to molecularly characterize L. paludausing the nuclear 18S rDNA region and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene by PCR and nucleotide sequencing techniques. The sequences were acquired and comparedto existing GenBank sequences. The results support the validation of L. paluda in Iraq using both traditional (morphology-based) and modern (molecular-based) techniques. The latter showed a 100% identity percentage ofL. paluda when compared to the registered sequences in NCBI. The Maximum Likelihood (ML) approach was used to construct the phylogenetic relationship.The results indicate that PCR sequencing is an effective and reliable molecular approach for identifying L. paluda, complementing traditional morphological techniques and enhancing the understanding of its biology, it confirming the occurrence of this leech in Iraq

Sidr trees are exposed to infestation by various insects, including the fruit fly species that belongs to the genus Carpomya Costa, 1854 (Diptera, Tephritidae), which comprises different species, some specialized in infesting sidr fruits. Therefore, this study aimed to diagnose the species of this genus infesting fruits of various species of Ziziphus Mill., 1754 cultivars. using distinct morphological features and molecular analysis (PCR). The paper also included constructing a phylogenetic tree for the genetically sequenced species using the COI gene and the sequence data were then compared with available data in GenBank.
The survey was conducted from December 2024 to May 2025, when a total of 25 kg of infested sidr fruits were collected from various locations in Baghdad Province, central of Iraq. This study molecularly recorded two species within this genus, representing the first molecular records for each: Carpomya vesuviana Costa,1854 which is the first molecular record in Iraq, and Carpomya incompleta (Becker, 1903), which is the first molecular record in Baghdad. The sequences were registered in GenBank under accession numbers PV809906 and PV810821, respectively.

The study aimed to evaluate the water quality of East Al-Hammar Marsh in Basrah, Iraq, by utilizing phytoplankton as a biological indicator and applying Palmer's Algal PollutionIndex Phytoplankton samples were collected using a 20 μm mesh size net from three stations (S1 in Harir,S2 in Al Salal, and S3 in Al Barka) in East Al-Hammar Marsh between 2019 and 2020 during the winter months (December, January, and February) and summer months (June, July, and August). Palmer’s Index was used to evaluate the water quality of Al-Hammar Marsh based on both algae genus and species composition.The overall scores for the S1, S2, and S3 algae genera pollution index in the winter months were 35, 28, and 30 respectively. In summer, the scores for the same stations were 21, 15, and 22, respectively. For the algae species pollution index, winter scores were 16, 20, and 22, and summer scores were 21, 18, and 16, respectively. According to the index, a total score of 15 to 20 indicates an organicpollution, and more than 20 indicates a high organic pollution.The genera with tolerance to pollution were Cyanophyta, like OscillatoriaVaucher ex Gomont,1892 and PhormidiumKützing ex Gomont,1892; Bacillariophyta, like CyclotellaKützing, 1846Gomphonema C.G. Ehrenberg,1832, NaviculaBory de Saint-Vincent,1822, Nitzschia Hassall, 1845,SynedraEhrenberg,1830, and Chlorophyta, like PandorinaBory de Saint-Vincent, 1824, ScenedesmusMeyen, 1829, Ankistrodesmus Corda, 1838, ChlamydomonasEhrenberg, 1833, and Euglenophyta, like EuglenaEhrenberg, 1830and PhacusDujardin, 1841. The Palmer index was an important instrument for displaying the probability of pollution in surface water. Compared to the species index, the Palmer index of genera was more useful for the same sampling station, the pollution in the form of the Palmer index varies slightly over time from winter to summer or geographically along the water courses. Generally speaking, organic contamination affects the Al-Hammar Marsh’ssurface water in most of the sampled stations

Due to the increase in tick-borne diseases globally, this investigation was proposed to investigate the distribution and intensity of the species belonging to HyalommaC. L. Koch, 1844that have beeninfesting livestock in Diyala Province, central of Iraq.The total percentage of infestation was 14.955% distributed as 19.600% for cow, 12.254% for sheep, and 29.411% for goat. The infestation varies among the districts of Diyala Province, and the highest infestation was in females compared with males, and it was distributed in different sites of animal bodies. The study concludes that the genus Hyalommais widespread in all districts of the province and that there are six species belonging to this genus, including: Hyalomma anatolicumKoch, 1844, H. exacavatumKoch, 1844, H.impeltatumSchulze & Schlottke, 1930, H. marginatumC. L. Koch, 1844, H. rufipesC. L. Koch,1844, and H. scupenseSchulze, 1919

A total of 400 hard tick specimens (250 ♂♂, 150 ♀♀) were collected from 160 sheep Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758 out of 200 samples examined in the different localities of Iraq, representing an infestation rate of 80% of the sheep. The results of the current research identified eight species of hard ticks belonging to two genera, Hyalomma C. L. Koch, 1844 and Rhipicephalus Koch,1844 and belonging to the Ixodidae family, as follows: Hyalomma anatolicum Koch, 1844, H. excavatum Koch, 1844, H. impeltatum Schulze & Schlottke, 1930, H. scupense Schulze, 1919, Rhipicephalus bursa Canastrini & Fanzago, 1878, R. camicasi Morel, Mouchet & Rodhain, 1976, R. sanguineus Latreille, 1806, and R. turanicus Pomerantsev, 1936. Molecular analysis and gene sequencing were conducted to confirm the species Rhipicephalus camicasi, using two genes, 12S ribosomal RNAs (PV155242.1, PV155243.1) and cox1 (PV139200.1, PV139201.1). The current study concluded that sheep are a new host for R. camicasi in Iraq.

The present study reports the first record of Ammatomus rufonodis (Radoszkowski, 1877)
for insect fauna of Iraq. Although this species shows morphological similarity to A.
mesostenus (Handlirsch, 1888), it can be distinguished by the clear large diameter of the
gastral punctures, which are similar in size to those on the mesopleuron. Thorough synonyms,
diagnostic features, morphological descriptions, and distribution notes are given.

The current review aims to provide the available updated data for Houbara Bustards
Chlamydotis undulata (Jacquin, 1784) (Aves, Otidiformes, Otididae) after its being listed on
the IUCN Red List as VU Vulnerable, and its population has decreased globally. Also, it's
being transmitted from the Gruiformes to the Otidiformes order. The current bibliographical
study reviewed the most recent references that deal with houbara bustards: nomenclature,
morphology, biological features, habitat, reproduction and breeding, migration patterns,
global conservation status, hunting, and species status in Iraq, by searching in the previous
literature. The current study reviewed the references about the global conservation status of
the Houbara Bustard from the last 30 years (1995-2024). The status of the species in Iraq is
that they are still living in the wild without any protection or breeding stations. It is also
exposed to poaching by falconers and smugglers. A total of 105670 nucleotides of
Chlamydotis were recorded on the NCBI website in various regions of the world, and the
most recent recordings were reviewed in the current article.

The recent changes in the subfamily Pimeliinae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), including
updates at the generic and species levels, are summarized in this study. According to the
previous literature and museum collections of the Iraq Natural History Research Center and
Museum, a revised and current list of 18 recognized genera and 44 species, organized into 10
tribes, is provided for the fauna of Iraq. The importance of this study is that it is the first
updated list for the Pimeliinae subfamily for the entomofauna of Iraq.

The study aims to update the records of endemic plant species within two phytogeographic
sub-regions of Iraq, the Middle Saharo-Sindian and Mesopotamia regions. The update was
conducted through a comprehensive review of scientific name validity, endemic status, and
recently described species reported in previous studies, which collectively recorded 89
endemic taxa across these regions. The current results identify only 29 endemic taxa
belonging to 22 genera and 15 families. The family Asteraceae and the genus Anthemis
exhibited the highest number of endemic taxa. In terms of distribution, eight taxa were
restricted to the Middle Saharo-Sindian region, thirteen to Mesopotamia, and eight were
shared between both sub-regions. Additionally, the study provides an updated account of the
distribution of endemic species across Iraq's physiographic districts. It discusses possible
causes underlying the differences in the number of endemic taxa compared with previous
reports. This information will help to provide a framework for research and focus
conservation efforts for these endemic taxa