Based on a recent field survey in Iraqi Kurdistan and a critical evaluation of previously published data, 37 mayfly species are listed as occurring in Iraq. We collected and identified nine species as new for the country and corrected some previously published records. For several species scarcely treated in the literature, we provide information allowing their identification in the larval stage to promote the acquisition of reliable faunistic data from Iraq in the future.

• Keywords
• Ephemeroptera, Iraq, Middle East, aquatic biodiversity, mayflies,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Combining morphological and molecular data in an integrative approach, three new mayfly species of Epeorus (Caucasiron) are described. These include Epeorus (Caucasiron) alborzicus Hrivniak & Sroka, sp. nov. and Epeorus (Caucasiron) shargi Hrivniak & Sroka, sp. nov. from northern Iran, and Epeorus (Caucasiron) zagrosicus Hrivniak & Sroka, sp. nov. from central Iran. They are unambiguously delimited using both distance-based and likelihood-based approaches in the analyses of barcode COI sequences. Each new species is compared with other species of the subgenus and morphological diagnostic characters are provided. Based on extensive sampling of streams throughout the country, the distribution and habitat preferences of all Caucasiron species in Iran are assessed. Altogether, there are now six species recorded, among them also E. (C.) nigripilosus Sinitshenkova, 1976 is reported for the first time in Iran. Five species are distributed in the Alborz Mts. in northern Iran, one species was found in the Zagros Mts. in central Iran.

• Keywords
• Caucasus, Middle East, barcoding, diversity, mayflies, taxonomy,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH