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Microgastrines are diverse group of endoparasitoid wasps attacking caterpillars (Lepidoptera). Despite their importance in biological control, there is still no consensus concerning the phylogeny relationships among taxa. Although previous phylogenetic analyses have advanced the overall understanding of phylogenetic relationships of Microgastrinae, the small numbers of sampled taxa have led to disagreement in taxonomic assignments. In the present study, we performed a molecular genetic survey using both mitochondrial and nuclear data, increasing the taxons' sampling, to clarify the generic relationships and improve the inferences of the taxonomic status within Microgastrinae. We reconstructed a phylogenomic tree of Microgastrinae with sequences that exist up till now, from fifty-five genera for COI and thirty genera for 28S rDNA, both new and from previous studies. Several species and genera have been sequenced for the first time. In this study, we identified some of the closest phylogenetic relatives of Microgastrinae genera by analyzing DNA sequences from the mitochondrial COI and 28S rDNA. Most clades of the current findings correspond to the latest morphological classification of Microgastrinae. New clades and several well-supported clades, conform to the most previously recorded clades and provide an increased understanding of the Microgastrinae evolution. Based on molecular examination, Pholetesor psedocircumscriptus Abdoli, 2019 is synonymized with Pholetesor circumscriptus (Nees, 1834).

The eyelid bearing geckos Eublepharidae including six widely disjunct genera and 45 species which are distributed in tropical to temperate habitats of Eurasia, North-Central America and Africa. One of the eublepharid genera is the fat-tailed geckos of the genus Eublepharis Gray, 1827. The specific characters of Eublepharis involves flat basioccipital bone, deep axial pockets (armpit), eyelids well developed and movable, pupil vertical, dorsal small scales juxtaposed larger tubercles. The fat-tailed geckos as a vicariant group, encompass seven secretive, and nocturnal species: E. angramainyuAnderson and Leviton, 1966, E. fuscus Börner, 1974, E. hardwickii Gray, 1827, E. macularius (Blyth, 1854), E. satpuraensis Mirza, Sanap, Raju, Gawai and Ghadekar, 2014, E. pictus Mirza and Gnaneswar, 2022), and E. turcmenicus Darevsky, 1977 which are distributed from Turkey through the Iranian Plateau to India as following: south-eastern Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and north-eastern and central India in a variety of habitats from dry karst topography regions with gypsum deposits and clay-gravel soil to stony foothills. The data used for the distribution maps were based on all available bibliographic records, and personal field observations. The results showed that among the three species located in Iran, E. angramainyu has the most widespread distribution and habitat diversity, and E. macularius has a very limited distribution in the border of Iran and Afghanistan. The range of species distribution depends on various factors including behavioral mechanisms of superior habitat selection, interactions with other living organisms and physico-chemical factors.

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.

We recovered molecular phylogenetic relationships amongst species of the genus Ablepharus in Iran and Iraq. Partial sequences of three mitochondrial genes (cytochrome C oxidase subunit I – COI, 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) were analysed. In addition, phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic evaluation of Ablepharus species in Cyprus, India, Greece, Turkey and Syria were performed using partial sequences of the 16S rRNA gene. Phylogenetic trees and estimated genetic distances showed that the Ablepharus populations of Iran and Iraq clustered into three distinct clades. One is found in northwest Iran (A. bivittatus in Ardabil, East and West Azerbaijan and Hamedan Provinces). The second clade, formed by A. chernovi, is found only in Uromia. The third and most heterogeneous clade is divided into two subclades, the first includes two lineages of Ablepharus in Khorasan Razavi and Semnan Provinces (A. pannonicus) and in eastern and south-eastern Iran (A. grayanus); the second subclade is distributed in the eastern part of Iraq and west and south-western Iran (Ablepharus sp.). Our analyses indicated that splitting of A. chernovi within the genus occurred in the early Miocene [about 22.5 million years ago (Mya)]. Ablepharus bivittatus diverged 15.2 Mya, in the middle Miocene. Ablepharus pannonicus diverged in the late Miocene (8.4 Mya) and A. grayanus separated in the late Miocene (6.7 Mya). The lineages of eastern Iraq and south-western Iran (Ablepharus sp.) diverged also in the late Miocene (7.0 Mya).

The Leaf-toed Geckos of genus Asaccus are distributed in Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran of the Middle-East characterizing by a unique characteristic of cloacal sacs and postanal bones absence. The genus Asaccus includes 19 species with at least 10 species in Iran distributing along the Zagros Mountains. Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a body size difference between males and females of the same species, being a widespread phenomenon in reptiles. We collected additional specimens of Asaccus nasrullahi (Phyllodactylidae) from four new localities in Ilam and Khuzestan Provinces, western Iran. In this study, 110 adult specimens of this lizard were examined (for nine metric and four meristic characters). The analyses of morphological data revealed that the males are significantly larger than the females in eight metric characters including forelimb to hind limb length (FHL), length of forelimb (LFL), length of hind limb (LHL), head height (HH), head length (HL), head width (HW), rostrum to anus length (RAL), and tail length (TL). There is no significant difference in the rate of tail shedding between the sexes. The range of this species is extended beyond type locality in Lorestan Province into adjacent areas in Ilam and Khuzestan Provinces.

The new report on the Persian gecko is based on one adult male and two adult females from Qasr-e-Shirin, Kermanshah Province. This is the most western point of distribution recorded for Hemidactylus persicus Anderson, 1872. The collected specimens were examined based on metric, meristic, and pholidotic characters. These were larger than previously measured specimens from southwestern Iran. Moreover, color patterns were different from previous specimens

In this study a total of four Calotes versicolor specimens (three males, one female), collected in different localities from April 2013 to March 2014 in Southeast of Iran were examined. The study was based on morphological features including color pattern, morphometric measurements, habits, biological observations especially habitat and distribution. Habits features, habitat and new distribution localities were documented. This is the first record of Calotes versicolor from the Kalesari village is 44 km away from the last record in Nahang River.

Five metric and 10 meristic characters were studied in 30 specimens of Eryx (Daudin, 1803) in Bahr Al-Najaf depression, Al-Najaf Province – Iraq. According to the results, and considering the principle of priority, we concluded that the populations of E. jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the study area should be classified into E. jaculus jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758) and E. jaculus familiaris Echwald, 1831. In addition, ten specimens belonging to a population of Eryx in the area were found to differ from all other E. jaculus in that their second upper labial being lower than the third one. These specimens, which are tentatively regarded as Eryx cf.miliaris (Pallas, 1773), need more comprehensive study to clarify their taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationship using more morphological traits, ecology, and molecular studies.

Sexual dimorphism in 45 ( 27 males, 18 females ) specimens of Trapelus ruderatus ruderatus was studied in specimens collected from three localities: Bahr AL-Najaf, AL-Najaf Province; Albedhan village, Said dekheel county, Dhi-Qar Province and Khor AL-Zubair, AL-Basra Province, southern Iraq. Of 23 studied characters in males and females, statistical analysis using SPSS software version 20.00 showed significant differences in 11, out of 23, characters (male-biased): SVL, TL, HW, HH, DCC, RP, NP, CT, VL, AbnL and LHS. In comparison to females, males had different color pattern, much darker and more developed gular folds and darker ventral regions.

During herpetological fieldwork from April 2013 to March 2014 on the herpetofauna of the counties of Saravan, Sib and Suran, Zaboli, Sarbaz, and Chabahar in south east of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, SoutheasternIran a total of 97 specimens of lizards belonging to 19 species and five subspecies, 16 genera, and six families were collected and identified as follows: Calotes versicolor, Laudakia nupta nupta, L. n. fusca, Phrynocephalus scutellatus, Trapelus agilis agilis (Agamidae); Agamura persica, Bunopus tuberculatus, Cyrtopodion scabrum (Gekkonidae); Acanthodactylus blanfordii, A. micropholis, Eremias fasciata, E. persica , Mesalina watsonana, Ophisops elegans (Lacertidae); Ablepharus pannonicus, Eumeces schneiderii zarudnyi, Ophiomorus brevipes, O. tridactylus (Scincidae); Uromastyx asmussi (Uromastycidae); and Varanus griseus caspius (Varanidae). The most diverse families of the present collection are the Lacertidae with six species, followed by Agamidae and Scincidae each with four species. Detailed information of each lizard species was also provided.

This study includes a check-list of semi-venomous and venomous snakes in Iraq along with their distribution and classification. Collectively, from the family Clubridae, three genera, and seven species of semi-venomous snakes and from the families Viperidae four genera and six species, Elapidae one genus and two species, Hydrophiinae five genera, and eight species of venomous snakes are distributed in different geographic regions of Iraq.