Molecular and morphological diversity of Baetis braaschi Zimmermann, 1980 (Ephemeroptera: Baetideae); with notes on species’ description

Although mayflies are the key elements to assess the health value of freshwaters, their biodiversity in the Middle East, in particular in Iran, is poorly studied. Baetis braaschi belongs to the subgenus Rhodobaetis Jacob, 2003, with a wide distribution in Europe and Western Asia. The taxonomy of B. braaschi has always been source of disagreement as many species have so far been described by researchers and were synonymized later. The species, Baetis braaschi, is investigated here, using molecular and morphological data using collected specimens from different area in Iran and compared with its conspecific from Eastern Europe. Although Iranian specimens showed 99% molecular similarity with their conspecifics in Eastern Europe, e.g., Ukraine and Georgia, the morphological results showed that Iranian specimens of Baetis braaschi has significant morphological differences with conspecific specimens from Eastern Europe. Patterns of head, femora and size of the first and second teeth of mandibles in B. braaschi are varied from Europe to Iran

Two new cestode species of Tetragonocephalum Shipley & Hornell, 1905 (Lecanicephalidea, Tetragonocephalidae) from Himantura randalli Last, Manjaji-Matsumoto & Moore (Myliobatiformes, Dasyatidae) from the Gulf of Oman

The original description of the genus Tetragonocephalum was published more than one hundred years ago but its taxonomic status was clarified only recently. To date, approximately 30 nominal species of this genus have been described, mostly from the northern Indian Ocean, but nearly half of them are invalid and only 14 species are recognized as valid. In the present study two new species of Tetragonocephalum are described from the spiral intestine of Himantura randalli from off Jod, on the northern coast of the Gulf of Oman. Tetragonocephalum sabae sp. n. is distinguishable from the valid species of Tetragonocephalum based on number of proglottids (43−53), number of testes (42−50), and size of scolex (401−453×328−455), acetabula (87−109×72−116), mature proglottids (802−1,333×226−336), cirrus sac (92−160×103−154), and eggs (16−19×11−13). Tetragonocephalum salarii sp. n. can be distinguished from T. sabae sp. n. and all other valid species of Tetragonocephalum based on number of proglottids (77−86). Furthermore, it differs from its congeners based on a combination of some characteristics, including the number of mature (3−7) and gravid (18−20) proglottids, the number of testes (30−38), and the size of acetabula (84−111×80−96), mature proglottids (497−833×334−403), gravid proglottids (1,036−1,482×440−575), testes (20−34×31−50), ovary (123−215×210−278), and eggs (24−45×13−21)

Culture of a new medicinal leech: growthı survival and reproduction of Hirudo orientalis Utevsky and Tronteljı 2005 under laboratory conditions

Malek, Masoumeh, Jafarifar, Fatemeh, Aminjan, Atabak Roohi, Salehi, Hassan, Parsa, Hossein (2019): Culture of a new medicinal leech: growthı survival and reproduction of Hirudo orientalis Utevsky and Tronteljı 2005 under laboratory conditions. Journal of Natural History 53 (11): 627-637, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.159720

Integrative taxonomy of some Iranian peregrine earthworm species using morphology and barcoding (Annelida: Megadrili)

Latif, Robabeh, Malek, Masoumeh, Aminjan, Atabak Roohi, Pasantes, Juan José, Briones, Maria J. I., Csuzdi, Csaba (2020): Integrative taxonomy of some Iranian peregrine earthworm species using morphology and barcoding (Annelida: Megadrili). Zootaxa 4877 (1): 163-173, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4877.1.