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On the occurrence of Lichtenstein’s Short-fingered Gecko, Stenodactylus sthenodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Saudi Arabia Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-26 Lukáš Pola, Damien M. Egan, Faris A. Mukhtar, Ricardo M. Oliveira Ramalho, David C. Wells, Josh Smithson, David Olson
Stenodactylus sthenodactylus (Lichtenstein, 1823) is a widely distributed naked-toed gecko found from Western Sahara throughout North Africa to Jordan. While its occurrence in Saudi Arabia was tent...
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The genus Leptobium Casey from Israel: A new species, additional records and a key to the species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Sinan Anlaş
A new species of the genus Leptobium Casey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Paederinae) from Israel is described, illustrated, and distinguished from congeners: Leptobium korotyaevi sp. n. (Tel-Aviv, Sh...
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First record of the Checkerboard Worm Lizard, Trogonophis wiegmanni (Kaup, 1830) (Squamata: Trogonophidae) from high altitude in northeastern Algeria Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Abdenour Kheloufi
Published in Zoology in the Middle East (Vol. 70, No. 1, 2024)
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Cardiocondyla hashemi sp. n., a new species of the C. batesii species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Saudi Arabia, with a key to the Saudi species Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Mostafa R. Sharaf, Hathal M. Al Dhafer, Mahmoud S. Abdel-Dayem, Abdulrahman S. Aldawood
A new species, Cardiocondyla hashemi sp. n. is described and illustrated using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) based on the worker caste. Cardiocondyla hashemi is a member of the C. batesii sp...
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Casting Light on Fluorescence in Hemidactylus turcicus (Squamata: Geckonidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-20 Mehmet Anıl Oğuz, Mehmet Şerif Aydın, Gürkan Öztürk
Published in Zoology in the Middle East (Vol. 70, No. 1, 2024)
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Contribution to the knowledge of the ant cricket Myrmecophilus wahrmani Chopard, 1963 (Orthoptera: Myrmecophilidae) with the description of the female Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-11 Thomas Stalling, Wolfgang Waitzbauer, Amir Weinstein
The hitherto unknown female of the ant cricket Myrmecophilus wahrmani is described. The species has been known only from Israel and was recorded for the first time in Jordan. Pictures of live and c...
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The potential range and future distribution of the endangered lizard Darevskia clarkorum in the Caucasus Biodiversity Hotspot under climate change scenarios Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Mehmet Kürşat Şahin
The Clarks’ Lizard, Darevskia clarkorum is endemic to the Caucasian biodiversity hotspot, remarkable in terms of biogeography and evolutionary history in the Palearctic Realm. The purpose of this s...
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An annotated checklist of the Myrmeleontidae of Armenia (Neuroptera) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-02-05 Antonín Kačírek, Jan Šumpich
This paper presents an annotated checklist of the antlions (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae) of Armenia. In total, 39 myrmeleontid species are known to occur in Armenia, with 18 of them recorded in 2017...
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A new species and new records of the family Mymaridae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) from Saudi Arabia Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2024-01-17 Shahid Bin Zeya, Syed Kamran Ahmad, Prince Tarique Anwar, Farmanur Rahman Khan
A new species of mymrid wasp, Lymaenon brara Zeya, Anwar & Ahmad, sp. nov. is described from Saudi Arabia. Two known species, L. taizensis Zeya & Amer, 2019, and Gonatocerus longicornis Nees, 1834,...
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Parallel colour/pattern polymorphism in three sympatric spittlebug species (Philaenus spumarius, P. signatus and Mesoptyelus impictifrons) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) in Mediterranean Türkiye Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Rukiye Tanyeri, Selçuk Yurtsever, Serdar Tezcan
Parallel colour/pattern polymorphism has been reported in the three sympatric spittlebug species Philaenus spumarius, P. signatus and Mesoptyelus impictifrons in the Mediterranean region of Türkiye...
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Biodiversity and distribution of earthworms in the biogeographic province of the Levant Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Tomáš Pavlíček, Timea Szederjesi, Oren Pearlson, Csaba Csuzdi
We are reporting an increase from 30 to 52 identified earthworm taxonomic species, including one subspecies, in the Levant bioregion during the last 20 years. The number of earthworm taxonomic spec...
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Range extension of the Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor to central Anatolia (Aves: Charadriiformes) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Ahmet Karataş, Fahri Tunç, Ayşegül Karataş
Published in Zoology in the Middle East (Vol. 69, No. 4, 2023)
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Androctonus sumericus sp. nov., a new scorpion from Dhi Qar Province, Iraq (Scorpiones: Buthidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Azhar Mohammed Al-Khazali, Ersen Aydın Yağmur
A new species Androctonus sumericus sp. nov. is described and illustrated from the Dhi Qar Province of Iraq, based on the material previously misidentified as A. crassicauda (Olivier, 1807). Theref...
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A new species of mining bee (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae: Andrena) from Israel’s coastal plain Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Gideon Pisanty, Karmit Levy, Teresa Martin, Yael Mandelik, Sophie Cardinal
A new species of mining bee, Andrena (incertae sedis) woodi Pisanty sp.n., is described, based on molecular and morphological differences from the related species Andrena aegyptiaca Friese, 1899. T...
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Genetic diversity, phylogeography and historical demography of the Golden Jackal, Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758, in Turkey as inferred from mtDNA sequences Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Sadık Demirtaş
The Golden Jackal, Canis aureus (L., 1758) is one of the most widespread species of canids, ranging from Central Europe and the Balkans to the Middle East and East Asia; however, relatively little ...
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Genetic and morphometric comparisons of populations of Lacerta diplochondrodes Wettstein, 1952 (Squamata: Lacertidae) in Türkiye Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Nilgün Kaya, Oya Özuluğ, Murat Tosunoğlu, Vahap Eldem
The diverse climate types and geographical structures across Anatolia result in a high level of species diversity. Among these, the lizard species Lacerta diplochondrodes exhibits several distinct ...
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Range expansion of the Black-winged Kite, Elanus caeruleus, in Palestine Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Bashar Jarayseh, Omar Attum, Simon Awad
The Black-winged Kite, Elanus caeruleus, is an opportunistic breeding species that is a resident in the Middle East. This study investigates its distribution patterns and breeding behaviour in Pale...
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On the distribution of the Egyptian Fruit Bat Rousettus aegyptiacus in Saudi Arabia (Mammalia: Chiroptera) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Petr Benda, Antonín Reiter, Marcel Uhrin
New records of the Egyptian Fruit Bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) from 14 sites situated in the north-western part of Saudi Arabia interconnect the previously known parts of the distributon range of th...
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A key to the skulls of the mammals of Cyprus Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Nikolaos Kargopoulos, Haris Nicolaou, George Mitsainas, Petros Lymberakis, Nikolaos Kiamos, Panagiotis Georgiakakis, Boris Kryštufek
The present article consists of an identification key that pertains to the skulls of the mammals of Cyprus, including Cetacea, Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Carnivora, Lagomorpha, Rodentia, Eulipot...
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A new species of the genus Trathala (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), with new and additional records of the family Ichneumonidae from Türkiye Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-12-12 Emin Kaplan
Fifty-nine ichneumonid samples were collected from Bingöl and Diyarbakır provinces in eastern Türkiye between 2017 and 2021. From the 17 species in 15 genera listed here, Enclisis dichroma Bordera ...
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A new species within the genus Bithynia (Gastropoda: Bithyniidae) from northwestern Türkiye Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-10-23 Enis Akay, Deniz Anıl Odabaşı, Nurhayat Dalkıran
In Türkiye, the family Bithyniidae is represented by two genera: Bithynia (Leach, 1818) and Pseudobithynia (Glöer & Pešić, 2006). Recent studies have shown that Bithyniidae species have a broad dis...
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Two new species of ants of the genus Cataglyphis Foerster, 1850 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-14 Arsalan Khalili-Moghadam, Sebastian Salata, Lech Borowiec
This paper enhances our understanding of the diversity of Iranian desert ants. It introduces two new species: Cataglyphis shahrekordensis sp. nov., a member of the C. altisquamis species-group, and Cataglyphis lirabiensis sp. nov., which belongs to the C. cursor species-group. These species were discovered in south-western Iran, specifically in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari and Khoozestan Provinces. With
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Operational interactions between humans and Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoises, Neophocaena phocaenoides: An integrated spatial model in the northern Strait of Hormuz Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-08 Mohammad Mahdi Beiki, Atefeh Chamani, Bahareh Lorestani
The Indo-Pacific Finless Porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) is a little-known cetacean under human pressure in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. In Iran, most sightings have been reported from the northern coasts of the Strait of Hormuz. We invested the spatial overlap between finless porpoise habitats and human activities in the Harra Protected Area and Biosphere Reserve in the north of the
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Re-evaluating first impressions: Melanism in Hemorrhois nummifer (Reuss, 1834) from Kurdistan Region, Iraq Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-08 Daniel Jablonski, Soran H. Ahmed
We conducted genetic and morphological investigations on a snake specimen initially identified as the venomous species Walterinnesia morgani (Mocquard, 1905) from the family Elapidae, primarily based on its dark colouration. However, subsequent genetic analysis revealed a clear affiliation with the family Colubridae, specifically Hemorrhois nummifer (Reuss, 1834), which shares a partially sympatric
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First record of the genus Desertoniscus Verhoeff, 1930 (Isopoda: Agnaridae) from Iran, with the description of a new species Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-07 Yaser Bakhshi, Saber Sadeghi
A new species of terrestrial isopod, Desertoniscus iranensis n. sp., is described from Qeshm Island, southern Iran, representing the first record of the genus Desertoniscus for Iran. A description of the new species is provided and its diagnostic characters are illustrated. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2DDFE22F-6BFF-4221-A520-58CD5AF19A79
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Taxonomic and diagnostic notes on the Catopta kendevanensis Daniel, 1937 species group (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) in the Middle East Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-08-03 Roman V. Yakovlev, Aidas Saldaitis
We describe for the first time the male genitalia of four little studied taxa of carpenter moths of the genus Catopta in the Middle East, namely C. kendevanensis Daniel, 1937, C. anjumanica Daniel, 1964, C. rocharva Sheljuzhko, 1943 and C. eberti Daniel, 1964, as well as the female genitalia of C. kendevanensis. Catopta anjumanica stat. n. is upgraded from subspecies of C. kendevanensis to the species
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Status of the Dwarf Lizard (Parvilacerta parva) at the edge of its range in Armenia Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-18 Marine Arakelyan, Tigran Tadevosyan, Ruzanna Petrosyan, Tigran Ghrejyan, Angin Grigoryan
Studying the geographic distribution of the Dwarf Lizard (Parvilacerta parva) at the north-eastern edge of its geographic range in Armenia, we compiled a list of 31 locations in six regions (marzes) of northern and central Armenia. Three occurrences remain unconfirmed, and we interpret those as outliers in the context of the fundamental climate-driven niche we estimated using maximum entropy modelling
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Major range extensions of two cryptic owls, Omani Owl Strix butleri and Western Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis semenowi in Iran Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-18 Mohammad Tohidifar, Morteza Arianejad, Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh, Taher Ghadirian
We summarize recent records of two rare owls in Iran: The Omani Owl Strix butleri and the Western Brown Fish Owl Ketupa zeylonensis semenowi. In the past decade, a significant number of records were submitted to the Iran Bird Record Committee (IBRC) by amateur ornithologists and birdwatchers. In total, there were 35 records of Omani Owl during 2008–2022 and 45 records for Brown Fish Owl during 1997–2022
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Dasypoda delectabilis sp. nov., a morphologically intriguing pantaloon bee species from south-eastern Iran (Hymenoptera: Melittidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-14 Guillaume Ghisbain, Simone Flaminio, Vladimir G. Radchenko, Denis Michez
With its diverserange of climates and landscapes, the Middle East offers a remarkable area for the study of bee taxonomy and biogeography. In this work, a new species of pantaloon bee (Dasypoda delectabilis Ghisbain & Michez sp. nov.) is described from a single male collected in south-eastern Iran. Although the new species shows affinities with the subgenus Heterodasypoda Michez, its morphology is
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A new species of the genus Israelius Richards, 1952 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from Iran Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-07-14 Alireza Pourhaji, Hossein Lotfalizadeh, Jeroen de Rond, Jean-Yves Rasplus
The genus Israelius Richards, 1952 comprises two species. We describe here after a new species, Israelius persicus Lotfalizadeh sp. nov., for which we provide illustrations of the external features. The morphology of this species is compared to previously known species and a key to species of Israelius is provided. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D05761BE-A9A3-48FA-BCD3-056C93737CE5
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Description of a new species of solifuge of the genus Gylippus from Turkey (Solifugae: Gylippidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-22 Melek Erdek
A new solifuge species of Gylippinae Roewer 1933, Gylippus (Gylippus) merganus sp. n., is described and illustrated based on both sexes from Hakkari Province, southeastern Turkey. The details of the characteristics of both sexes are discussed and compared with related species. The number of species in the genus Gylippus found in Turkey is hereby increased to nine. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank
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Minimum soak times of Baited Remote Underwater Video needed to assess the status of a coral reef fish community in the northern Gulf of Aqaba Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-15 Omar Attum, Mohammad Al Tawaha, Loren Sieg, Ehab Eid
Fishing pressure and other human impacts are increasing throughout much of the Red Sea. We assessed the minimum soak time and status of the coral reef fish community in the Aqaba Marine Park, Jordan prior to its official redesignation as a Marine Reserve in 2020 using baited remote underwater video (BRUV). A total of 86 species from 27 families were recorded in 15 deployments, comprising 60 hours of
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A new hypogean species and description of the unknown male of Domene miranda Assing from Anatolia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-05-15 Sinan Anlaş
A new hypogean species, Domene lohaji sp. n., is described from Amasya province, northern Anatolia, and the male of Domene miranda Assing, 2010 is presented from Kastamonu province, northwestern Anatolia, for the first time. These species were collected in the mesovoid shallow substratum. A total of three hypogean species are now known to occur in Turkey. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.or
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Genetic diversity of the cosmopolitan long-legged fly Syntormon pallipes in Turkey Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-25 Alper Tonguç, Ömer Yüzer, Ersin Doğaç
Syntormon pallipes is one of the cosmopolitan species in the family Dolichopodidae. It has an important role in agriculture and forest ecosystems. We studied the genetic diversity of 10 populations of this species using seven ISSR primers and found 269 polymorphic loci. The polymorphism rate ranged between 34.6% and 72.1%. A molecular variance analysis showed that the main source of genetic variation
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Morphology, molecular systematics and phylogeography of the Spine-cheek Gudgeon, Eleotris acanthopomus (Teleostei: Eleotridae) from the north-western Indian Ocean Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-25 Hamid Reza Esmaeili, Fatah Zarei, Amir Hassan Masoumi
General morphology, cephalic sensory papillae pattern, postcranial osteology, phylogenetic placement, phylogeographic pattern, and distribution of Eleotris acanthopomus Bleeker, 1853 (Teleostei: Gobiiformes: Eleotridae) from the north-western Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea) are described. The cephalic papillae pattern follows the ‘open’ opercular pattern, and the cheek pattern ‘2.4’. The vertebral column
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An updated checklist of the Red Sea gobioid species (Teleostei: Gobiiformes), with four new records Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-25 Sergey V. Bogorodsky, Menachem Goren
An updated checklist and status assessment of the gobioid species (Gobiiformes) in the Red Sea is provided. Of the 162 species, 141 belong to the Gobiidae, nine to Microdesmidae, five to Xenisthmidae, six to Schindleriidae and one to Kraemeriidae. The Shrimpgoby (Cryptocentrus steinhardti) and the Sand Goby (Hazeus ingressus) are reported from Eilat, Israel and Abu Dabab, Marsa Alam, Egypt. Both species
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Breeding biology of the Cyprus Coal Tit (Periparus ater cypriotes) in the coniferous Paphos Forest, Cyprus, over a 9-year period Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-24 Panagiotis Nikolaou, Iris Charalambidou, Kostas Nicolaou, Nicolaos Kassinis
We studied the breeding biology of the endemic Cyprus Coal Tit (Periparus ater cypriotes) using artificial nest boxes in a coniferous forest from March through May 2010 to 2018. In total, 202 breeding pairs utilized the nest boxes, with a mean number of 22.2 pairs per year. The highest number of nests was observed in 2017, with 38 occupied nest boxes, reflecting a significant fivefold increase compared
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Confirmed sightings of Bryde’s Whale, Balaenoptera edeni Anderson, 1878 (Cetacea: Balaenopteridae) from Kuwait Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-19 Mohammad Al-Kandari, Yusuf Bohadi, Manickam Nithyanandan, Amani Al-Yaqout, Shaker Al-Hazeem, Gopikrishna Mantha, Fathima Thuslim
Published in Zoology in the Middle East (Vol. 69, No. 2, 2023)
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The first record of the order Mecoptera in the Arabian Peninsula Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-19 Levente Ábrahám, Sándor Farkas
In September, 2022, the first Mecoptera specimens of the Arabian Peninsula were collected in Oman (Dhofar province). The collected male and female specimens are conspecific with Bittacus chevalieri (Navás, 1908), which is widely distributed in the African Sub-Saharan grass savannahs and ranges from Senegal in West Africa to India. The occurrence of the species in the Dhofar Mountains proves that this
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A new species of Alloxysta Förster (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae) from Türkiye Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-19 Musa Tataroğlu, Yusuf Katılmış
A new species of the genus Alloxysta Förster, 1869 (Hymenoptera: Cynipoidea: Figitidae: Charipinae) is described from Türkiye: Alloxysta turcica sp. n. SEM images and data on the diagnosis, distribution, and host of the new species are provided.
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Population estimate and conservation status of the Persian Leopard, Panthera pardus tulliana, in the Bamo and Khoshk Mountains in Kurdistan Region, northern Iraq Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-04-14 Soran H. Ahmed, Soma I. Majeed
In Iraq, the endangered Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana) is distributed in the northern part (Kurdistan Region) along the Zagros mountain steppe ecoregion, which includes the Bamo and Khoshk Mountains, where we carried out a field survey between October 2020 and November 2022 including camera trapping and interviews with local communities. At least five individuals were recorded during this
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Phenotypic variations among Laudakia stellio populations in Anatolia: Colour, colour pattern, and phylogeny (Reptilia: Agamidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-03-27 Melodi Yenmiş, Dinçer Ayaz
We examined the phenotypical intra- and inter-populational variation of Laudakia stellio, one of the most-studied agamids, which is widely distributed in Anatolia in order to reveal the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the morphological differences among populations. We used for the quantification of colouration of different body parts colour palettes with the RGB (Red-Green-Blue) colour scale
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Molecular data confirm the presence of the Southern Crested Newt Triturus karelinii (Strauch, 1870) in Anatolia Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-28 Kamil Candan, Çetin Ilgaz, Yusuf Kumlutaş, Elif Yıldırım Caynak, Serkan Gül
Two species of newts of the genus Triturus are known to occur in Türkiye: Triturus ivanbureschi Wielstra & Arntzen, 2013 and T. anatolicus Wielstra & Arntzen, 2016. Here, we used the mitochondrial ND4 gene as a genetic marker to determine the taxonomic position of a new population found in Posof, Ardahan, northeastern Anatolia. It was shown the population belongs to T. karelinii (Strauch, 1870), which
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Genetic diversity, phylogeny and biogeography in the tadpole shrimp Triops granarius (Branchiopoda: Notostraca) in Qatar Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-27 Kuei-Chiu Chen, Shehroz Rana, Hiba Naveed, Ateeque Mohamed Ali, Sara Tomerak, Ahmed Aly, Khalifa Bshesh
The natural habitat of Qatar lacks permanent surface freshwater. Temporary ponds formed after heavy rains in the winter season are inhabited by the tadpole shrimp Triops granarius (Branchiopoda: Notostraca). In order to assess the molecular diversity of this species and to determine the relationship of Qatari populations with those from other regions, the sequences of 28S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and COI genes
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A new species and taxonomic notes on some Anatolian and Syrian species of cave crickets Dolichopoda (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae): Following the trail of Martínez de la Escalera after 123 years Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-21 Mehmet Sait Taylan, Deniz Şirin, Mercedes París
We examined cave crickets in southern Anatolian and northern Syrian in areas where Martínez de la Escalera collected at the end of the 19th century and compared our material with type material. We found a new species of the genus Dolichopoda Bolívar, 1880, D. rampinii Taylan & Şirin sp. n. from Anatolia (Hatay province). Additionally, some taxonomical notes and new figures of both sexes for D. pusilla
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First record of the subfamilies Brachistinae and Helconinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) for the fauna of Egypt, with the description of a new species Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-21 Yusuf A. Edmardash, Alyaa A. Malash, Neveen S. Gadallah
The subfamilies Brachistinae Foerster, 1863 and Helconinae Foerster, 1863 (Hymenoptera; Braconidae) are recorded for the first time for the Egyptian fauna. Each of them is represented by a single species of the genera Triaspis Haliday, 1835, and Helconidea Viereck, 1914, respectively. A new species, Triaspis aegyptiaca Gadallah & Edmardash sp. nov. is described and illustrated. The specimens were collected
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Notes on two species of bee flies (Diptera: Bombyliidae) described from Iran by Linder Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-16 Babak Gharali, Neal Evenhuis
Published in Zoology in the Middle East (Vol. 69, No. 1, 2023)
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Morphological characterization of some poorly known populations of the genus Spalerosophis Jan, 1865 (Reptilia: Colubridae): is the geometric morphometrics useful to identify them as taxonomic units? Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-15 Reza Yadollahvandmiandoab, Nasim Bashirichelkasari, Daniel Oliveira Mesquita
Despite the use of traditional morphology as a standard method for species identification, additional methods like image-based analysis can be desirable to differentiate species and populations. In this study, we used traditional morphology and geometric morphometrics (GM) to describe three distinct populations of the genus Spalerosophis and test the hypothesis that all populations are morphologically
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The first chromosome study of the genera Calchas Birula, 1899 and Neocalchas Yağmur, Soleglad, Fet & Kovařík, 2013 (Scorpiones: Iuridae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-15 Ersen Aydın Yağmur, Halil Koç, Fatih Yeşílyurt, František Šťáhlavský
The chromosomes of two species belonging to the scorpion family Iuridae are studied for the first time. Both analysed species displayed achiasmatic meiosis and no morphologically differentiated sex chromosomes; these features are typical for all scorpions. Both species possessed monocentric chromosomes, a characteristic specific to the entire parvorder Iurida. The karyotype of Calchas nordmanni Birula
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Subspecies identification of Lesser Whitethroats, Sylvia curruca, wintering in southern Iran as inferred from DNA sequences (Aves: Sylviidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-15 Hadi Pourmosa SheykhAlikelayeh, Seyed Mahmoud Ghasempouri
The Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca complex has a wide distribution in the east and west Palaearctic and comprises phenotypically very similar, but genetically distinct forms. In order to determine the origin of the birds wintering on Qeshm Island in the Persian Gulf, we studied the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 23 individuals and compared them with sequences publicly
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The expansive Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis), an all-year breeder in southern Turkey Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-06 Nilgün Yapıcı, Ali Erdoğan
The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is an adapting city bird that prefers cohabitation with humans in Turkey. We surveyed 161 nests in Antalya between 2017 and 2019. Breeding was recorded throughout the year. While the breeding activity was less during the winter season, fledging and hatching success were 100%. All-year breeding and the high reproduction capacity of the species is regarded
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Description of the female of Dicranomyia oosterbroeki Devyatkov, 2013 with an overview of the Limoniidae (Diptera) fauna of Ihlara Valley, Inner Anatolia Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2023-02-03 Zeynep Akpınar, Okan Özgül
A survey of Limoniidae carried out in Ihlara Valley, Inner Anatolia (Turkey) and its neighbourhood in 2015–2016 revealed 41 taxa. Of these, Dicranomyia (Idiopyga) oosterbroeki Devyatkov, 2013 is new for the West Palaearctic region and D. (D.) longipennis Schummel, 1829 new for Turkey. The genital and wing photos of these two species are presented, including the first description of the female of D
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Ecological niche modeling uncovered that Holocene warming is responsible for disjoint distribution of Zamenis persicus (Werner, 1913) (Squamata: Colubridae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-28 Sahar Roshan Ara, Mohammad Zarrintab, Mahdi Rajabizadeh, Haji Gholi Kami
Zamenis persicus (Werner, 1913) is near-endemic to the “South Caspian Circumscripation”, which is covered by Hyrcanian forests, a critical biodiversity hot spot in western Eurasia in terms of their origin and evolutionary history. The present study aims to evaluate the changes in the distribution of Zamenis persicus in the past, current, and future periods. For this purpose, 51 points of presence of
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Contributions of citizen scientists to monitoring alien species: the case study on Giant Asian Mantes, Hierodula tenuidentata and H. patellifera (Mantodea: Mantidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-28 Hasan Sevgili, Kaan Yılmaz
Many alien species directly affect humans by damaging agricultural crops and threatening the health of humans and domestic animals. Today, with the widespread use of social media, posts made by citizen scientists provide valuable data about alien species very quickly. This study reveals the importance of online databases for our knowledge on the spread of the Giant Asian Mantes Hierodula tenuidentata
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Additions to the knowledge of Trichogramma from Turkey (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), with description of a new species Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-22 Andrew Polaszek, Paul Rugman-Jones, Hakan Çelik, Halil Bolu
New country and host records of Trichogramma species for Turkey are presented. Trichogramma aurosum Sugonjaev & Sorokina is recorded for the first time from Turkey, and a new species, T. zerynthiae Polaszek & Bolu, is described. Morphological identification based on dissected male genitalia is supplemented by molecular sequence data. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9CFF5E39-F1D2-42FB-86B8FC8475EC3560
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New records of harvestman species (Arachnida: Opiliones) from the Caucasus (Georgia, Russia), with description of a new species Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-13 Nataly Yu. Snegovaya
A new harvestman species of the family Phalangiidae, Metaplatybunus valentinae sp. n. is diagnosed, illustrated, and described from the Caucasus region of Russia. Rilaena artvinensis Kurt, 2015 is recorded for the fauna of Georgia for the first time and a drawing of the female is provided for the first time. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A0312B48-1578-4B71-9DE0-4C926A0B1B62
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A new species of the Callophrys rubi (Linnaeus, 1758) group from Afghanistan (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-13 Anatoly Krupitsky, Yuriy Skrylnyk, Oleg Pak
A new species of the Callophrys rubi (Linnaeus, 1758) species group, C. hindukushica sp. n., is described from western extremities of the Hindu Kush range in central Afghanistan. The new species differs from the other members of the C. rubi group known from the Iranian Highland, namely C. naderii ten Hagen, 2008 from southeast Iran and C. rubi martinae ten Hagen, 2012 from northeast Iran and south
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Poorly studied Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz macronyx) recorded for the first time in Turkey (Aves: Remizidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-13 Kyle D. Kittelberger, Noel Hohenthal, Kayahan Ağırkaya, Ayşegül Çoban, Çağan Hakkı Şekercioğlu
The first Black-headed Penduline Tit (Remiz macronyx) in Turkey was recorded in April 2022, where it was captured and ringed at the Aras River Ornithological Research Station. This is a poorly studied species with a disjunct range consisting of four subspecies. We provide an overview of how to identify, age, and sex individuals within this species in comparison to the similar Eurasian Penduline Tit
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Orca (Orcinus orca) observations in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-11-10 James M. Bishop, Talal Dashti, Salah Jazzaf
Published in Zoology in the Middle East (Vol. 69, No. 1, 2023)
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A new ancient leiobunine genus and species from the Russian Northwest Caucasus (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae) Zool. Middle East (IF 0.7) Pub Date : 2022-09-19 Jochen Martens, Hay Wijnhoven
A new genus and species of harvestman belonging to the family Sclerosomatidae from the Russian Northwest Caucasus is proposed: Amilenoides caucasicus n. gen., n. sp. This species has unusual male penial characteristics, which are judged as plesiomorphic traits within subfamily Leiobuninae. The relationships on subfamily level are discussed. This new species may be a relict of early sclerosomatid evolution