نشریه تاکسونومی و بیوسیستماتیک
سال چهاردهم شماره 3 (پیاپی 52، پاییز 1401)

The Booz Daghi region with an area of 62,000 hectares is located 47 kilometers from Maneh and Semelghan city. The floristic composition, biological, and chorological spectra of this area were investigated through several random collections in different habitats and vegetation types, as well as from 220 plots established in selected plant communities during the growing season of 2021. In this regard, 252 vascular plant species belonging to 173 genera and 53 families were recorded as native plants in the Booz Daghi region. The richest families were Asteraceae (31), Poaceae (25), Lamiaceae (22), and Fabaceae (21). The genera Astragalus L. (10), Allium L., Convolvulus L., and Stachys L. (each with 5 species) were the richest ones. Hemicryptophytes (31.3%) and therophytes (29.8%) were the dominant life forms of the region. A considerable number of species (63.5%) belonged to the Irano-Turanian region. The results of this study showed that the Booz Daghi region had a relatively rich flora that requires special attention and proper planning to protect its biodiversity.

Scorpions are nocturnal animals that feed on invertebrates and other arachnids. So far, 10 species of scorpions from the family Buthidae have been reported from the Sistan region. Sampling was done using UV ultralight at night and direct search or digging during the day, from different areas in the Sistan region in 2021 and 2022. Examination of 117 collected scorpion specimens led to the identification of seven species belonging to six genera of the family Buthidae including Androctonus cf. crassicauda (Olivier, 1807), A. sistanus Barahoei & Mirshamsi, 2022, Kraepelinia palpator (Birula, 1903), Mesobuthus rakhshanii sp. nov., Odontobuthus tirgari Mirshamsi et al., 2013, Orthochirus persa (Birula, 1900), and Sassanidothus gracilis (Birula, 1900). Mesobuthus rakhshanii sp. nov. was described as a new species for the world fauna. This species has a dominant population in the region, which was collected from all stations. All specimens were fixed in 80% alcohol and kept in the author's personal collection. Androctonus species are dangerous scorpions that are distributed in the Sistan region. Identifying dangerous species is important and practical for health management. This is possible by identifying the fauna of scorpions in the region and determining the range of distribution of each species.

Natural essential oils derived from plants have particular importance in various markets such as agricultural, pharmaceutical, healthcare, cosmetics, and hygiene industries. Thyme has a special significance among the rest of aromatic plants. Thyme essential oil is yellow, brownish, and reddish to brown and is obtained from the distillation of leaves and flowers of Thymus vulgaris, as well as other species of thyme. It has various applications in the healthcare and cosmetic industries. Therefore, searching for different types of thyme to produce essential oils can be appealing to various industries. The results of the comparison of dry matter and essential oil production among 108 populations of 9 species of Iranian thyme and 4 populations of agricultural thyme (T. vulgaris) showed that the native populations of thyme species in Iran have a much higher economic and pharmacological potential than T. vulgaris. For instance, the specific populations of T. kotschyanus and T. daenensis can produce dry matter and essential oils in higher yields. The germplasm to be cultivated and utilized could be chosen purposefully by the designated usage of the product. If the purpose of producing thyme is to obtain dry matter for seasoning or spice, then the population 104 of T. kotschyanus, population 60 of T. fallax, population 91 of T. kotschyanus, and population 107 of T. daenensis could be considered. If, however, the purpose of cultivation of thyme is to extract essential oils, then population 104 of T. kotschyanus, population 60 of T. fallax, population 90 of T. daenensis and population 67 of T. fedtschenkoi could be utilized.

In the present study, morphometric characteristics among four populations of Megachernes pavlovskyi found in caves located in the Zagros Mountains were studied. The length/width proportions of 14 meristic traits of 95 specimens were considered. Data analyses were performed by statistical analysis tools (e.g. ANOVA, MANOVA, PCA, DFA, and cluster analysis). The results of ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference between 12 characters (p<0.05). Principal Component Analysis revealed three main components, which accounted for 64.98% of the total variance. Due to the differences in environmental factors of the studied caves and the influence of morphological traits on ecological factors, the morphological differences among populations could be due to differences in habitat characteristics of species to live in.

Nowadays, one of the most important threats to the biodiversity is adventive invasive species. In recent years, numerous imported plants with high invasion behavior have been reported from the Caspian coasts, especially Guilan province. During a field mission related to collecting plant specimens from Hyrcanian forests in Guilan province, Oenothera indecora Cambess. from the Onagraceae family was collected and identified for the first time from the Siahkalrud area of Chaboksar and is reported as a new record for the flora of Iran. The species, which is native to South America grows outside its native range and it is now established as a neophyte in several tropical and subtropical areas. The most important morphological traits of this species have been compared with its closely related species, O. parodiana Munz. Also, the geographical distribution, photos of the plant, habitat, and distribution of the species in the world and Iran are provided. In the following, the alien species was investigated and compared in terms of some invasive aspects in the world and Iran.

The family Hypogastruridae belonging to the order Poduromorpha is an important family of the class Collembola. This family is recognized by having strong mandibules, molar plates, lateral projections, strong furca, and short dens. Members of the family are found in many habitats including soil, under the bark of trees, seashores, and commercial mushroom beds. The family Hypogastruridae is not well known in Iran. During the last few years, the study of this group of arthropods has been increasing and numerous reports have been presented. So far, 37 species and eight genera belonging to this family have been reported or described from Iran. The genera Hypogastrura Bourlet, 1839 and Ceratophysella Bӧrner, 1932 have the highest number of reported species of the family with 12 and 8 species, respectively. There is no comprehensive identification key for the species and genera of the Hypogastruridae family in Iran. In order to facilitate the identification of Hypogastruridae species for Iranian researchers, in this study, the identification key of reported genera and species of the family Hypogastruridae in Iran is presented.