Length‐weight relationships for nine nemacheilian loaches (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae) from Iran

Length‐weight relationships were estimated for 9 nemacheilian loaches of Iran. Four of these species are endemic to Iran and the L‐W parameters of six species are given for the first time. Significant length‐weight relationships with high correlation coefficient were found for all species. The value of parameter b ranged from 2.81 to 3.12.     

Taxonomic revision and phytogeographic studies in Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) in the Khorassan provinces of Iran

This study is focused on the genus Euphorbia L. in a part of northeast Iran, viz. the three Khorassan provinces. Since there are many taxa of Euphorbia in Iran which are used in different industries and have significant effects on human and non‐human life it is important to revise their taxonomy. With about 90 species, following Turkey with 91 species, Iran is the second richest country for Euphorbia in Asia. Of these, 30 species are distributed in the Khorassan provinces. This is the first comprehensive work on the genus in this region. According to ‘Flora Iranica’, there are 17 species of Euphorbia in northeast Iran, while according to our results, there are 30 species of Euphorbia in the Khorassan provinces alone. In addition to various new taxonomic and biogeographic results, a new species, viz. E. chamanbidensis, is described. Euphorbia chamanbidensis is closely related to E. aucheri, but seed micro‐morphological characters differentiate them. Two identification keys to the Euphorbia species of the studied area are provided, one based on macro‐morphological characters and another based on seed micro‐morphological characters. Phytogeographic analysis and distribution maps for all species are also presented.     

Crataegus coriifolia sp. nov. (Rosaceae) from Iran

Crataegus coriifolia Sharifnia & Zarrinkolah is described as a new species from Iran. Its taxonomic relationships, ecology and distribution are discussed. An identification key to C. coriifolia and other two‐styled species of Crataegus occurring in Iran is provided.     

Length‐weight relationships of fish species in Kordan River (Namak Lake basin), Iran

Length‐weight relationships were estimated for three little‐known species in Kordan River, in the Namak Lake Basin, Iran. For all species the estimated length‐weight relationship parameters fell within normal distributions and predicted ranges.     

Uneven Distribution of Mating‐Type Alleles Among Togninia minima Isolates,One of the Causal Agents of Leaf Stripe Disease on Grapevines in Northwest Iran

Togninia minima is the main fungal species associated with grapevine leaf stripe disease worldwide. This species is mainly known from its asexual state in nature; nevertheless, a biallelic heterothallic mating strategy has been confirmed for this species based on in vitro crossing studies. There are no data available on the incidence of an active sexual cycle within the populations of this species in many grapevine‐producing countries as well as Iran. The possibility of a clandestine sexual cycle within the Iranian isolates of T. minima was evaluated by analysing the distribution and frequency of the mating‐type alleles on a microspatial and a macrogeographical scales. Towards this aim, a total of 90 T. minima isolates were recovered from grapevines with esca disease from the vineyards in north and north‐western Iran. A multiplex PCR method previously designed by authors was applied for simultaneous identification and determination of the mating‐type alleles in T. minima populations. The results on the screening of mating‐type alleles using multiplex PCR method revealed the mating‐type identity of 77 isolates as Mat1‐2 and 23 isolates as Mat1‐1. Our results showed that both Mat1‐1 and Mat1‐2 isolates are present in a single vineyard and even on single vines. The distribution of mating‐type alleles in the sampled area skewed from the 1 : 1 ratio (77 : 23); however, co‐occurrence of both mating types in a single vineyard and even on single vines is suggestive for the presence of an active sexual cycle for T. minima in north‐western Iran.     

Phylogeny,biogeography and divergence times of Astragalus section Incani DC. (Fabaceae) inferred from nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL(UAG) sequences

Astragalus sect. Incani, one of the most species‐rich sections of Astragalus with ca 140 species, is well known for its taxonomic complexity resulting from overlapping morphological characters and high phenotypic plasticity. Its main centers of diversity are in Iran and Turkey with about 120 species. Using nrDNA ITS and plastid rpl32‐trnL_(UAG) markers, we reconstructed the phylogeny of members of the section by means of maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, Bayesian, Beast and S‐DIVA analyses. This is the first comprehensive work on the section Incani covering its full geographic range. All members of the section (including A. subsecundus) except A. platyphyllus formed a well‐supported clade (Incani s.s.). Within the section, two major groups with different geographic distribution were detected. One group includes nine examined species restricted to eastern Iran and Central Asia and the other group comprises a majority of the species from west and northwestern Iran, Turkey and southern Europe. The Divergence time analysis suggests that Incani s.s. originated in the late Pliocene and a majority of the speciation events dates to the last 1–1.5 Myr. This indicates that the recent diversification of Incani s.s. coincided with climatic changes during the Pliocene and Pleistocene and was followed by complex biogeographical processes in which dispersal have been vital for shaping the current distribution pattern . The S‐DIVA suggested a predominantly east–west route of dispersal from an origin in the east, and a major phylogenetic split between eastern and western lineages. However, the geographical distribution of A. monspessulanus/A. incanus and A. ackerbergensis/A. gueldenstaedtiae does not correspond to their phylogenetic positions. The former species are restricted to southern Europe/North Africa, but belong in two distinct subclades. The latter, restricted to northeastern Iran are phylogenetically close to species of western and northwestern Iran and Turkey. Astragalus sykesiae is resurrected as a distinct species separated from a broadly defined A. mercklinii.     

Molecular phylogeny of the subterranean genus Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in the Middle East: a comparison with European Niphargids

The subterranean genus Niphargus is one of the most species‐rich genera among freshwater amphipods in the world, distributed in the Western Palearctic. Thus far, taxonomic and phylogenetic research has focused mainly on the European half of the genus range. In this study, 25 populations of Niphargus from Iran, Lebanon and the Crimean Peninsula were investigated. Bayesian inference based on 28S, H3 and COI gene sequences suggests that populations from the area belong to four different clades. Three species from Crimea and one species from Iran are nested at basal nodes, indicating their rather ancient origin. The rest of the species are younger and belong to two separate clades. One Crimean species is a sister‐species to east Romanian species. The second clade includes one species from Lebanon and all but one population from Iran. The origin of this clade corresponds to marine transgression between the Black Sea and Mediterranean approximately 12 Mya. This clade was further investigated taxonomically. Revision of qualitative morphological traits and unilocus species delimitation methods using COI suggest that this clade comprises 12–16 species, of which only three have been described so far. Multilocus coalescence delimitation methods (using fragments of COI, 28S, H3 and ITS) strongly supported 11 of these species. The remaining populations comprise at least two species complexes that require further and more detailed taxonomic research. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London     

DNA barcoding of tuberous Orchidoideae: a resource for identification of orchids used in Salep

Tubers of terrestrial orchids are harvested and traded from the eastern Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea for the traditional product Salep. Overexploitation of wild populations and increased middle‐class prosperity have escalated prices for Salep, causing overharvesting, depletion of native populations and providing an incentive to expand harvesting to untapped areas in Iran. Limited morphological distinctiveness among traded Salep tubers renders species identification impossible, making it difficult to establish which species are targeted and affected the most. In this study, a reference database of 490 nrITS, trnL‐F spacer and matK sequences of 133 taxa was used to identify 150 individual tubers from 31 batches purchased in 12 cities in Iran to assess species diversity in commerce. The sequence reference database consisted of 211 nrITS, 158 trnL‐F and 121 matK sequences, including 238 new sequences from collections made for this study. The markers enabled unambiguous species identification with tree‐based methods for nrITS in 67% of the tested tubers, 58% for trnL‐F and 59% for matK. Species in the genera Orchis (34%), Anacamptis (27%) and Dactylorhiza (19%) were the most common in Salep. Our study shows that all tuberous orchid species in this area are threatened by this trade, and further stresses the urgency of controlling illegal harvesting and cross‐border trade of Salep tubers.     

Phytogeography of Genu and Homag,two mountains with an Irano–Turanian flora in the Saharo–Sindian regional zone,south Iran

The Saharo–Sindian regional zone encompasses the flat and arid areas of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, southern Iran and the deserts of Pakistan and west India. There are some scattered mountains situated within this area, like Hoggar in Sahara, Saint Catherine in Sinai and Genu and Homag in southern Iran. These highlands serve as interglacial refugia for cold adapted plant species. In the present study, phytogeographical patterns and relationships of the flora of Genu and Homag mountains are described and discussed in relation to the phytogeography of the flora of low‐lying Hormoz Island. According to a chorological assesment of the flora, Genu and Homag mountains belong to the Irano–Turanian region with 59% of the species restricted to this area. In contrast, the surrounding lowland plains are part of the Saharo–Sindian area with a rather high proportion of widespread species (17%) and Somalia–Masai‐linking elements (20%). It is noteworthy that several Turanian enclaves also occur in the lowland zone. Furthermore, the distributional patterns imply that the mountainous Irano–Turkestanian region is an integrated area which is supposedly distinct from the Turanian lowland areas in the north and from the Saharo–Sindian lowland areas in the south. On the other hand, the expansive floras of Turanian and Saharo–Sindian regions are linked to each other. Endemic species in lowland areas in south Iran are mostly either frost sensitive vicariants of cold adapted Turanian species or of Saharo–Sindian origin, while the highland endemics in the area trace their origins to the Irano–Turkestanian region.     

Crataegus grossidentata sp. nov. (Rosaceae–Pyreae), a new hawthorn from northern Iran

Crataegus grossidentata Sharifnia & K. I. Chr., found in northern Iran, is described and illustrated as a species new to science. Its ecology, distribution and taxonomic relationships are discussed. A key to C. grossidentata and other one‐styled taxa of Crataegus occurring in Iran is provided.     

Length–weight relationships of four fish species caught in the Northern Persian Gulf (Horomzgan waters,Iran)

Length–weight relationships (LWRs) for four little‐known fish species collected in the northern Persian Gulf (south of Iran) are presented, namely, Leiognathus lineolatus, Grammoplites suppositus, Eupleurogrammus muticus and Acanthocepola abbreviate. Thus far, these are the first LWRs for these species in the international scientific literature.     

Alpine–Himalayan orogeny drove correlated morphological,molecular, and ecological diversification in the Persian dwarf snake (Squamata: Serpentes: Eirenis persicus)

The Persian dwarf snake Eirenis (Pseudocyclophis) persicus (Anderson, 1872) has a wide distribution range in south‐western Asia. This species group was comprehensively studied here using traditional biometry, geometric morphometrics, ecological niche modelling, and genetics. Our analyses revealed that E. persicus is split into two clades. A western clade, bearing at least two different species: E. persicus, distributed in south‐western Iran, and an undescribed species from south‐eastern Turkey and western Iran. The eastern clade consists of at least three species: Eirenis nigrofasciatus, distributed across north‐eastern Iraq, and western and southern Iran; Eirenis walteri, distributed across eastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and western and southern Pakistan, and Eirenis angusticeps, distributed in north‐eastern Pakistan. Ecological niche modelling revealed that the distribution of the species in the western clade are mainly affected by winter precipitation, and those in the eastern clade are mainly affected by the minimum temperature of the coldest month. A molecular clock analysis revealed that the divergence and diversification of the E. persicus species group mainly correspond to Eocene to Pliocene orogeny events subsequent to the Arabia–Eurasia collision. This study confirms that specimens with the unique morphology of having 13 dorsal scale rows on the anterior dorsum, occurring in the Suleiman Mountains in central Pakistan, can be referred to Eirenis mcmahoni (Wall, 1911). However, at this moment we have insufficient data to evaluate the taxonomy of this species.     

Annotated checklist of Iranian Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Hydrophiloidea)

This checklist comprises all species of Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera: Hydrophiloidea) quoted in the literature referring to Iran and confirmed by our study. In total, 104 species within 17 genera and five subfamilies, Hydrophilinae (eight genera, 63 species), Chaetarthriinae (three genera, five species), Enochrinae (single genus, 20 species), Acidocerinae (single genus, three species) and Sphaeridiinae (four genera, 13 species), are listed for the fauna of Iran. Three species are endemic; four species are recorded here for the first time from Iran, and nine species are excluded from Iranian fauna.     

First record of Aphelinus paramali Zehavi and Rosen 1989 (Hymenoptera,Aphelinidae), parasitoid of Aphis pomi de Geer (Hemiptera,Aphididae) in Iran,and its phylogenetic position based on sequence data of ITS2 and COI genes

The occurrence of Aphelinus paramali (Zehavi & Rosen) (Hym., Aphelinidae) was evidenced from North east Iran, in association with Aphis pomi (de Geer). This species is reported from Iran for the first time, and A. pomi is introduced as a new host for this parasitoid. Detailed morphological characters were studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) photographs. Also, sequences of ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) genes were used for determining species boundaries and comparing with other Aphelinus species. Different results were obtained in phylogenetic analysis of these two regions. Analysis of COI gene supported the closer relationship of this species with Aphelinus abdominalis. This is the first data about comprehensive characterization of a parasitic wasp using morphological characters, SEM and two‐locus information from Iran.     

Length–weight relationships of six freshwater cyprinid fishes of Iran

Length–weight relationships were estimated for six cyprinid species of Iran. One of these species is endemic to Iran and the L–W parameters for three of the species are given for the first time.     

Length–weight relationships of five commercial fish species from the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf

Length‐weight relationships are described for five fish species from the coast of the Hormuz Strait in the Persian Gulf, Iran. Specimens were collected between August 2010 and July 2011 using shrimp beam trawls, gill nets and intertidal fishing weirs. Relationships for three of the species had no previous data in the international science global databank on fishes: www.FishBase.org . A new maximum length was recorded for Acanthopagrus latus.     

Detection of Contracaecum multipapillatum (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in the indigenous killifish Aphanius hormuzensis (Teleostei; Aphaniidae) and its histopathological effects: A review of Iranian Aphanius species parasites

The present study reports the occurrence of Contracaecum multipapillatum (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in an indigenous small killifish, Aphanius hormuzensis Teimori, Esmaeili, Hamidan, Reichenbacher, 2018 from Southern Iran and shows its histopathology. A total of 110 A. hormuzensis specimens were collected from Shur (Naband) River, Hormuzgan basin in Southern Iran and examined for their possible parasitic infections. Third‐stage larva of C. multipapillatum was extracted for the first time from the body cavity of 19 fish specimens (one male and 18 female) and identified by molecular and morphological methods. In comparison with non‐infected fishes, the melanomacrophage centers were detected in the tissue sections from liver, kidney and spleen of all the parasite infected fishes. To date, 16 parasites belong to nine families have been recorded from six Aphanius species (out of 15 known species) in Iran. Among them, eight and four parasites have been identified from A. vladykovi, and A. hormuzensis respectively. Since Aphanius species are living in different environments, therefore, they seem to be good hosts for the different types of parasites, and more new parasites are expected to be found in these fishes.     

The unconventional geminivirus Beet curly top Iran virus: satisfying Koch's postulates and determining vector and host range

Beet curly top Iran virus (BCTIRV) is a geminivirus with unusual genomic organisation, recently reported in Iran, infecting sugarbeet and a few other plant species. Although three BCTIRV sequences have been reported, demonstration that BCTIRV DNA is the causal agent of the disease was missing. A full‐length genomic DNA was obtained from symptomatic leaves of sugarbeet collected in the Sivand area of Iran, and its nucleotide sequence was determined (BCTIRV‐Siv, 2845 nt). To satisfy Koch's postulates, an infectivity assay was developed by inserting a 1.4‐mer of BCTIRV‐Siv DNA in Agrobacterium tumefaciens and using it in agroinoculation experiments. The cloned viral DNA was capable of infecting sugarbeets, reproducing the leaf curling and vein enations observed in the field. These results demonstrate that the single DNA component of BCTIRV is sufficient for infectivity. Host range studies indicated that some economically important crops can be affected, such as spinach, tomato and sweet pepper, as well as important laboratory plants including Nicotiana benthamiana, Arabidopsis thaliana and Jimson weed. Circulifer haematoceps, the dominant leafhopper species present in sugarbeet fields in Iran, was successfully used to transmit the disease. The availability of an infectious clone will facilitate extended host range studies, to determine the potential risks to other crops, as well as genetic studies on this unusual member of the family Geminiviridae.