Abstract. Hassan FM, Mahdi WM, Al-Haideri HH, Kamil DW. 2022. Identification of new species record of Cyanophyceae in Diyala River, Iraq based on 16S rRNA sequence data. Biodiversitas 23: 5239-5246. The biodiversity and water quality of the Diyala River require screening water in terms of biological contamination, because it is the only water source in Diyala City and is used for many purposes. This study aimed to identify a new species record of Cynaophyceae and emphasize the importance of using molecular methods beside classic morphological approaches, particularly in the water-shrinkage-aqua system. Five different sites along Diyala River were selected for Cyanophyceae identification. Morphological examination and 16S rRNA sequen

The ground pearls, Porphyrophora tritici (Bod.) is a new insect pest on wheat recorded for
the first time from Mousl Province, North of Iraq.

In this study, the specimens of land snails Polygyra cereolus (Megerle v on Mühlfeld t , 181 8
(Gastropoda, Stylommatophora, are collected between March and April 2021
from gardens and nurseries in Baghdad province, this species was recorded as a new record to
Iraq molluscan fauna. Description of the most important characteristics, measurements of the
shell are presented with digital p photographs, subsequently, this study represents the first record
of the Polygyridae in Iraq.

  In 2010, the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) was reported for the first time in Iraq. The larvae can feed on all parts of tomato plants and can damage all the growth stages. The main host plant is tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, but it can also attack other plants in Solanaceae family. In this study it was found attacking alfalfa plants, Medicago sativa in Baghdad Province. This finding reveals that alfalfa also serves as a host plant for T. absoluta in Iraq.

    An investigation was provided in this work for the host range of brown soft scale Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus in Baghdad Province.  Five plant species were found infected by this insect, three of these species, Citrusaurantium L. (Rutaceae); Nerium oleander L. (Apocynaceae); Ficuscarica L. (Moraceae) reported earlier, and the remaining two, Dahlia pinnata Cav. (Asteraceae) and Myrtuscommunis L. (Myrtaceae) are recordedhere for the first time as host plants for this pest.

   The aim of this paper is to present the first record of ctenophore species Pleurobrachia pileus (O. F. Müller, 1776) in the coral reef as was recently found in Iraqi marine waters. The specimens were collected from two sites, the first was in Khor Abdullah during May 2015, and the second site was located in the pelagic water of the coral reef area, near the Al-Basrah deep sea crude oil marine loading terminal. Three samples were collected at this site during May 2015, February and March 2018 which showed that P. pileus were present at a densities of 3.0, 2.2 and 0.55 ind./ m³ respectively. The species can affect on the abundance of other zooplankton community through predation.

A total 474 argasid ticks removed from 617 hosts including bats, rodents, and birds were found belong to four species of the genus Argos. One of which A. reflexus is reported for the first time for Iraq. Some informations regarding the infestation rate, intensity and some biological data are provided.

The occurrence of two species of the genus Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) for the first time in Iraq from freshwater fishes.