Iranian journal of animal biosystematics
Volume:17 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2021

We studied inter and intra-specific morphometrical variability across six species/subspecies of Chrotogonus Serville, 1838 (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphidae) consisting on Chrotogonus homalodemus homalodemus (Blanchard, 1836), C. homalodemus (Blanchard, 1836), C. trachypterus trachypterus (Blanchard, 1836), C. trachypterus robertsi Kirby, 1914, C. trachypterus (Blanchard, 1836), and C. turanicus Kuthy, 1905 from Sindh, Pakistan. The investigation was based on a comparative study of external morphological measurements of the six major body parts including: Antennal segments, length of head, length of pronotum, length of tegmina, length of wings, and total body length. Interspecific morphometric variation showed highest variation as 16.00 ± 04.33mm in the length of tegmina of C. homalodemus and lowest variation 01.98 ± 00.05mm in length of pronotum of C. trachypterus robertsi while intraspecific morphometric variation amongst females was highest than males. The species of Chrotogonus are closely similar and no satisfactory field characters exist by which may be distinguished. This study will fill the specific identification gap amongst this taxon.

A review of the Snake-eyed Skink Ablepharus Fitzinger, 1823 is presented. The specific character of Ablepharus involves a lack of movable eyelids, with the lower eyelid fused to the upper one, forming a transparent spectacle covering the eye. The genus Ablepharus occurs in southeastern Europe, southwest Asia, and Central Asian Republics (from the Mediterranean Sea coasts to northwest India), including 11 valid species: A. anatolicus Schmidtler, 1997, A. bivittatus (Ménétries, 1832), A. budaki Göçmen, Kumlutas & Tosunoglu, 1996, A. chernovi Darevsky, 1953, A. darvazi Eremchenko & Panfilov, 1990, A. deserti Strauch, 1868, A. grayanus (Stoliczka, 1872), A. kitaibelii Bibron & Bory St-Vincent, 1833, A. lindbergi Wettstein, 1960, A. pannonicus (Lichtenstein, 1823), and A. rueppellii (Gray, 1839). For identification of species of Ablepharus, we used additional scalation and molecular features, used anatomical survey (e.g. osteological and hemipenial characters), and species distribution models. Of the genus Ablepharus, A. bivittatus, A. chernovi, A. grayanus, and A. pannonicus occur in Iran.

Paraimene tuberculata Javed & Ahmed, 1988, the type species of the genus is redescribed, photographed and illustrated, based on material from the Gulf of Oman. This species is distinguished from all other species of the genus by pereonites 2–4 bearing 3 rounded tubercles, pereonites 5–7 with 3 rounded and 2 elongated tubercles, and a pleotelson with 7 elongated tubercles on the dorsal surface. The present species is the only member of the genus that occurs Indian Ocean from Pakistan coasts to the Iranian side of the Gulf of Oman. A revised generic diagnosis is provided for the genus Paraimene. Paraimene tuberculata Javed & Ahmed, 1988, the type species of the genus is redescribed, photographed and illustrated, based on material from the Gulf of Oman. This species is distinguished from all other species of the genus by pereonites 2–4 bearing 3 rounded tubercles, pereonites 5–7 with 3 rounded and 2 elongated tubercles, and a pleotelson with 7 elongated tubercles on dorsal surface. The present species is the only member of the genus that occurs Indian Ocean from Pakistan coasts to the Iranian side of the Gulf of Oman. A revised generic diagnosis is provided for the genus Paraimene.

Landmark-Based Geometric Morphometric Methods were used for the first time to quantitatively assess shape variations of the third epimeral plate (Ep3) of six Gammarus species (G. lordeganensis, G. parthicus, G. pretzmanni, G. pseudosyriacus, Gammarus sp1 and Gammarus sp2.) from five different localities in Iran. Two landmarks and 10 semi-landmarks on the posterior, anterior and inferior margins of the Ep3 were digitized on 78 adult male specimens. Shape diversity of samples and discrimination of all species were analyzed with Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Variates Analysis (CVA). The results strongly supported the distinction in the posterior margin of Ep3 shape of the six species, while the inferior margin clearly showed similar morphological structure. A remarkable separation of G. lordeganensis as a distinct group from the rest of the species was found in both CVA and PCA analyses of anterior margin of Ep3 shape, while other species had overlaps with each other. Based on these findings, geometric morphometric data, could be used to identify diagnostic morphological traits. The shape of the Ep3 could be used as an appropriate character for separating closely related amphipod species of the genus Gammarus.

Platyceps rhodorachis (JAN, 1863) and P. karelini (BRANDT, 1838) are both members of the P. rhodorachis complex species, which is widely distributed in Iran and includes many local populations in the country. These two species are molecularly and to some extent morphologically valid. However, hybrids between P. karelini and P. rhodorachis have been described, but so far their ecological differentiation have not been evaluated. In this study, the ecological niche models was predicted for these two members of the P. rhodorachis complex using bioclimatic layers and geographical coordinates. Possible habitat models show the distribution density of these two species in the southern (including some islands in the Persian Gulf) regions, and some areas in northeastern Iran. The results of niche similarity tests (identity and niche overlap tests) based on the criteria of environmental species, in order to assess the degree of species differentiation, indicate the degree of differentiation between these two sister species and raises the possibility of a hybrid belt in southern Iran.

This is particularly apparent within the insects that show high variations in genitalic form between closely related species. Static allometry is one of the effective approaches for quantification of such variation. Despite the crucial roles of the parasitic Hymenoptera in the ecosystems, little is known about the sexual selection in this order, compared with other insect orders. We examined the allometry of different morphological traits in 35 males and 35 females of Habrobracon hebetor (Say, 1836) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from a laboratory colony reared in Mashhad city, for the first time. The aim was the investigation of allometric relationships of different body traits as a way for quantification of the natural selection impacts on the different body parts. 12 genitalic and non-genitalic body parts of H. hebetor males and females were photographed and measured. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to explore the variance of the traits and two regression analysis methods to obtain the allometric slopes. All the non-genitalic traits in male and female wasps showed isometry except pterostigma width in male wasps which showed positive allometry. In male genitalia, two traits showed strong negative allometry and one trait showed isometry. Our findings showed that in this species males with an average size of genitalia were more successful in generating viable offspring than males with relatively smaller or larger genitalia sizes and this is irrespective of the overall body size. Our results showed for the first time that such stabilizing sexual selection might operate on genital size in the braconid wasps.

Mollusca are the second-largest phylum of invertebrates after Arthropoda and may play a role as an intermediate host for parasites. To determine the morphological features of land snails (including Assyriella ceratomma, Jaminia isseliana, Helix lucorum and Euomphalia pisiformis) from North-west of Iran (Urmia city), the specimens were collected during 2015-2017. After extraction, the radulas were stained using Mallory II and the shell morphology and teeth formula were studied. A significant correlation was found between the mean length of radula and their body size. In addition, snails with bigger shell size, had a larger teeth size and more lateral teeth. The longest and the shortest central tooth belonged to Helix lucorum and Jaminia isseliana, respectively. The length of the central teeth in the Helix lucorum and Assyriella ceratomma differed significantly from other species. Furthermore, the shape of the central tooth in all examined snails was triangular. The lateral teeth in the Helix lucorum and Assyriella ceratomma species had one mushroom-like cusp with two short sharp cusps. The lateral teeth in Jaminia isseliana contained blade like cusps at the middle. Helix lucorum snails had more marginal teeth compared to others.

The myrmecofauna of Azerbaijan is not studied well enough. Coverage on this family of insects is very few and far between. Most thoroughly studied are the ants of Talysh (Arnol'di, 1948). Information on some species can be found in the works of Ruzsky (1902, 1905), Karavaiev (1926a, b, 1929 a,b, 1932), Arnol'di (1930, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1977 a,b), Radchenko (1997). The catalog of Borowiec (2014) contains generalized data on Azerbaijan. Some data may also be gathered from the catalog of Dubovikoff, Yusupov (2017). New information on the ants of Azerbaijan was revealed by Bračko (2019), with data provided on 73 species of ants, 30 of which are new to the fauna of Azerbaijan. Provided below is a general checklist of the ants of Azerbaijan, based on all the currently available information. Messor laboriosus Santschi, 1927 is recorded for the first time for Azerbaijan. In this checklist 128 ant species belonging to 28 genera that have been recorded from Azerbaijan are presented.