This study aims to use claystone beds exposed in the Injana Formation (Late Miocene) at Karbala-Najaf plateau, middle of Iraq for the manufacturing of perforated and ordinary bricks. The claystone samples were assessed as an alternative material of the recent sediments, which are preferred to remain as agricultural land. The claystones are sandy mud composing of 29.1 - 39.1% clay, 37.2 - 54.8% silt and 14.1-26.8% sand. They consist of kaolinite, illite, chlorite, palygorskite, and montmorillonite with a lot of quartz, calcite, dolomite, gypsum and feldspar. Claystone samples were characterized by linear shrinkage 0.01 - 0.1%, volume shrinkage 0.1 - 0.9%, bulk density 1.2 - 2.11gm/cm3 (1.68 g / cm3 average), and the efflorescence is

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the cyanobacterium Scytonema hofmanni Var. calcicolum from the domestic drinking tanks as a new record in Iraqi drinking water. Scytonema hofmanni var. calcicolum, a filamentous freshwater cyanobacterium (blue-green alga). This alga was isolated from the walls of the domestic plastic water tanks in Al- karkh/ Baghdad city on July 2014. The sampling was performed by collecting three samples from this tanks, the three examined samples microscopically revealed the dominance of this cyanobacterium as unialgal in the studied samples. The results showed this alga has the ability to tolerate high temperature up to 42 Cº and very low light intensity inside the tanks which up to 10 μE/m²/s.

The present paper attempts to establish a distinction between Exochomus negripennis (Er.) and E. quadripustulatus L., depending on the characters of femoral line, male genitalia and spermatheca.

   The present study introduced a new description of the last larval instar of the oak tree borer, Latipalpis johanidesi Niehuis, 2002 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae). The larval specimens were collected from the oak trees within the mountainous areas, Erbil governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, during the beginning of April till the end of May 2019.

   Schematic sketches were provided to illustrate unclear morphological features, and the results presented importance morphological evidence for confirming the identification of this species in the larval stage precisely.

Pollen morphology characterization is an important field in taxonomy. This study aims to identify and characterize the pollen morphology for fourteen species from subfamily Caesalpiniodeae (Fabaceae). The results showed the similarity of all species pollen in terms of being monad and tri,zono-colporate type, and each Ceratonia siliqua and Senna occidentalis distinguished by having tetra,zono-colporate pollen as well, and the results revealed the prevalence of reticulate configuration in most studies species, while Ceratonia siliqua characterized by striates configuration, Cassia fistula distinguished by verrrucate-gemmate wall, and Senna species by verrrucate- perforate, as for the shape, showed a discrepancy in the general shape fr

Comparative taxonomic study has been compeleted for the species of the. genus Centaurium Hill. of Iraq. So the morphological characters were studied comparatively for the first time form Iraqi materials. Stems, leaves ,infloresences and reproductive organs characters were a good taxonomic importance. Geographical distrtribution has been done for the species of the genus in addition to the environment information. The results were presented with schedules, tables, maps and micrographs. Taxonomic key for the species separation was also presented.