The recent changes in the subfamily Pimeliinae (Coleoptera, Tenebrionida), including updates at the generic and species levels, are summarized till this study is completed. According to the previous literature and museum collections of the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum, a revised and current list of 18 recognized genera and 44 species, organized into 10 tribes, is provided for the fauna of Iraq. The importance of this study is that it is the first updated list for the Pimeliinae subfamily for the entomofauna of Iraq.

The present work aims to study the embryonic development of forebrain (Cerebrum) of a white-cheeked bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis (Gould, 1839) (Aves, Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae). Specimens for embryonic development were processed for paraffin embedding and stained with haematoxylin and eosin for histological study. The forebrain incubation consists of three layers, ependymal, mantle and marginal. The thickness of telencephalon was 43 μm while the thickness of diencephalon was 37 μm in an embryo of 48 hours incubation. The telencephalon consisted of two vesicles called cerebral hemispheres. The thickness of the telencephalon wall was 57 μm. The cerebral hemispheres in the embryo at 72 hours of incubation were differentiated, and the average thickness was 97 μm. The cerebral hemispheres contained two lateral ventricles, including right and left ventricles.

Invasive bird species pose a significant threat to biodiversity and ecosystems worldwide. In Iraq, non-native avifaunal species are increasing, leading to various environmental challenges. This study aims to evaluate the risk of invasiveness and potential impacts of four non-native, extant bird species on Iraq's biodiversity under both current and predicted climate change conditions. Surveys were conducted in November 2023 and 2024 on four non-native bird species present in local animal markets throughout Iraq. The study sites included the provinces of Baghdad, Basra, and Erbil, which harbour commercial centres and the largest local animal markets in the country for trading non-native species. In this study, the target species for screening were selected after an extensive literature search and review of non-native bird species in Iraq. Using the Terrestrial Animal Species Invasiveness Screening Kit (TAS-ISK), this study evaluated the potential risk of invasiveness in Iraq of four of these non-native bird species: bank myna Acridotheres ginginianus Latham, 1790, common myna Acridotheres tristis (Linnaeus, 1766), Namaqua dove Oena capensis (Linnaeus, 1766), and rose-ringed parakeet Psittacula krameri (Scopoli, 1769). The findings revealed that for commercial, environmental, and species or population nuisance traits, A. tristis and P. krameri pose a high risk of invasiveness, whereas A. ginginianus and O. capensis pose a medium risk. The present results highlight the need to include these species in decision-making and management programmes to mitigate their impacts on Iraq's biodiversity.

Eimeriosis is a major problem affecting ruminants worldwide. The disease is primarily caused by Eimeria species, which are specialized for each host and grow in the small and large intestine of animals. The losses due to subclinical infections (especially weight loss) and clinical disease (diarrhea) make the species of this genus a very significant economic concern. Therefore, this study was conducted in some areas of Wasit Province. A total of 180 fecal samples from goats, of both sexes and covering different age groups and months, were collected. All fecal samples were examined microscopically, and 75 positive fecal samples were taken for molecular examination and further analyzed using conventional PCR, sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Microscopic results showed that the overall infection rate was 41.6%. The incidence of Eimeria species ranged from 5.55% to 22.22% across three different species of the genus Emeria Schneider, 1875, namely E. arloingi (Marotel, 1905), Martin, 1909 (22.22%), E. christenseni Levine, Ivens & Fritz, 1962 (13.88%), and E. hirci Chevalier, 1966 (5.55%). Regarding the PCR reaction, results from the 18S rRNA, COI gene and genetic sequencing, Confirmed that the fecal samples were positive for Eimeria Schneider, 1875 species.

Three species of nematodes within Acrobeloides (Cobb, 1924); Thorne, 1937 (Rhabditida, Cephalobidae) were collected and recorded for the first time in Iraq, based on morphometric and molecular data, these species, A. saeedi Siddiqi, Ley & Khan, 1992, A. apiculatus (Thorne, 1925), and A. bodenheimeri (Steiner, 1936), were molecularly characterized using the partial 28S rRNA gene sequences. The phylogenetic tree has been constructed to separate Acrobeloides species from closely related species.

This study was done in Al-Alam City, Salah Al-Din Province, to determine the diversity of the macrofungi in it. The results of the field study showed two species were recorded in Iraq for the first time, Inocutis tamaricis (Pat) Fiasson & Niemelä, 1984 (Basidiomycota, Hymenochaetales) and Melanoleuca castaneofusca Contu, 1998 (Basidiomycota, Agaricales). These species were diagnosed based on macroscopic and microscopic, DNA sequence analyses and environmental charactes. The study included the adoption of the ITS gene for molecular diagnosis, the results of which were confirmed for morphological and environmental diagnosis, and the specimens were registered in the NCBI Global GenBank under the international accession numbers OP153814.1 and MZ334407.1 for the species I. tamaricis and M. castaneofusca, respectively.

The present study provides the first record species of the genus Lithobius Leach, 1814, L. ferganensis (Trotzina, 1894) which was collected from the middle of Iraq. A detailed explanation of the morphology and the diagnostic characters of specimens of both sexes is provided.

A survey and revised checklist of the species belonging to the family of Compositae for the specimens which are collected and deposited previously at the herbarium of the Iraq Natural History Research Center and Museum, in addition to the current specimens collected for the period 2016-2021. A total of 85 species belonging to 49 genera and 16 tribes are revised with their synonyms, locality, and distributions, flowering and fruiting period.