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Zoology in the Middle East Volume 61, Issue 3, 2015 0939-7140 (Print), 2326-2680 (Online) © Taylor & Francis Covered in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE). Admitted to ISI Master Journal list and covered by the BioSciences Information Service (Biosis Previews) and Biological Preview (abstract/cover page), the Zoological Record and many other review organs. ZME is published by Taylor & Francis Group. Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig |
Turkey as a crossroad for Greater Flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus: evidence from population trends and ring-resightings (Aves: Phoenicopteridae)
Özge Balkız, Ortaç Onmuş, Mehmet Sıkı, Ömer Döndüren, Orhan Gül, Antoine Arnaud, Christophe Germain, Süreyya İsfendiyaroğlu, Melih Özbek, Eray Çağlayan, Nilüfer Araç, Burcu Parmak, Uygar Özesmi and Arnaud Béchet
The Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus is a waterbird commonly found in saline and brackish lagoons throughout the Mediterranean Region. We have gathered existing data on Greater Flamingos in Turkey and carried out field surveys to present the most up to date information on wintering (1999–2014) and breeding (1969–2014). The wintering population of flamingos shows an increasing trend with 54,947±20,794 individuals mainly concentrated in the Gediz, Büyük Menderes and Çukurova deltas, respectively. Breeding attempts were recorded in at least seven wetlands in Turkey in the past, yet after 1999 most of the colonies were abandoned due to basin scale intensive water management practices in Central Anatolia. Currently, only Tuz Lake and Gediz Delta are used as regular breeding sites, while breeding has been recorded sporadically in Acıgöl and Akşehir Lakes. The breeding colony of Tuz Lake is of prime importance at the Mediterranean scale, with the number of young chicks in 2011, 2012 and 2013 accounting for the highest number of fledglings in the Mediterranean Region and West Africa (18,418, 20,274 and 20,292 respectively). Finally, building upon the previous findings about Turkey and the western Mediterranean metapopulation links, recent resightings of Turkish flamingos (despite the limited numbers) confirm post-fledging and natal dispersal reaching the western Mediterranean Basin and West Africa. Flamingos from Turkey were also found to disperse to Israel and to a region outside the known flyways of the western Mediterranean and West African flamingos (i.e. to Israel and UAE). Thus, Turkey, due to its geographic position, appears to be a crossroad between the western and eastern Mediterranean Region and southwest Asia.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 201-214. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Population increase of the Long-eared Owl, Asio otus (Linnaeus, 1758), in Iran (Aves: Strigidae)
Abolghasem Khaleghizadeh, Mohammad Tohidifar, Seyed Babak Musavi, Alireza Hashemi, Ali Khani and Maryam Omidi
The Long-eared Owl, Asio otus (Linnaeus, 1758), was known as a scarce wintering bird in Iran until 2010. There were altogether 25 records until the 1970s, but no data are available for the period between the 1970s and 1997. Between 1997 and 2014 there were at least 32 non-breeding and 17 breeding records available based on data of the Iran Bird Records Committee. Breeding was first confirmed in Nahavand (Hamedan Province) and has in the meantime been confirmed at 11 localities mainly in the western half of the country. The recent increase in records (from 25 records during 12 decades compared with 49 records during two decades) indicates that there has been a real increase in the numbers of Long-eared Owls occurring in Iran.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 215-219. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Salinity affects territory size of migratory Little Stint (Calidris minuta) (Aves: Limicolae)
Reuven Yosef and Piotr Zduniak
Sea shores are important habitats for waterbirds but also prime targets of human development. Habitat alterations can be off-set by alternative feeding habitats such as salt pans and understanding them is important for conservation purposes. We analysed the effect of salinity on the territory size of Little Stint (Calidris minuta) migrating across Eilat and stopover on adjacent salt pans, because the northern shoreline of the Red Sea has been completely developed. Mean territory size was 8.4 m and did not depend on season, age or body condition index, but was significantly connected with salinity levels. Mean territory size was smallest in the pond with the lowest salinity and biggest in the ponds with the highest salinity, which suggests that salinity levels are an important factor for migratory birds. The fact that Eilat is a hyper-arid zone with no alternative habitats to which the waterbirds can resort, make the salt pans of great conservation importance.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 220-225. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Verification of the Minor Snake-eyed Skink, Ablepharus grayanus (Stoliczka, 1872) (Sauria: Scincidae), from Iran
Rasoul Karamiani, Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, Eskandar Rastegar-Pouyani, Morteza Akbarpour and Ehsan Damadi
The rediscovery of the Minor Snake-eyed Skink, Ablepharus grayanus, from two different localities in Sistan and Baluchestan and Kerman Provinces, southeastern Iran is reported. A total of 24 specimens was examined based on morphometrics, colour pattern and pholidotic characters. One-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) based on morphometric measurements revealed significant differences in terms of the snout-vent length (SVL) and fore- and hind limb distances (GA) between eastern and western populations of Ablepharus pannonicus. The most distinguishing characters of Ablepharus grayanus are morphological features, especially ear opening status and scales around the midbody (18-20 versus 20-22). Based on morphological grounds, Ablepharus grayanus is clearly distinguished from A. pannonicus occurring in the eastern and western regions of the Iranian Plateau.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 226-230. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Sexual dimorphism of the European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), in Anzali Lagoon, Iran (Reptilia: Emydidae)
Marzieh Kaviani and Mohammad Reza Rahimibashar
The morphometric characteristics of the European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis, were studied at Anzali lagoon on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Males were on average (N=249) with 272.0 g significantly lighter than females with 447.0 g, and average carapace length was significantly smaller (123.0 mm in males, 139.0 in females). Females exceeded males also in all other studied characters (carapace width, plastron length, plastron width, and scute height). The sex ratio of male to female was 1 to 1.03, and the comparison of total tail length and cloaca-tail tip length revealed a difference between the position of the cloaca in both sexes, a character useful for sex determination in this species.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 231-235. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Genetic variation in an isolated population of the newly identified endemic gudgeon Gobio sakaryaensis (Osteichthyes: Cyprinidae)
Güzin Emecen, Ergi Deniz Özsoy, Murat Yılmaz and Fitnat Güler Ekmekçi
We analysed the genetic variation of the gudgeon Gobio sakaryaensis (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), which is endemic to a subbasin which has been isolated from the Sakarya watershed since the late Pliocene for at least two million years. From the 8 allozyme loci studied, more than half show heterozygote deficiency. Based on tests of selective neutrality, we conclude that the levels of deficiency can be accounted for by genetic drift. Big differences in the frequency between allelic classes at individual loci, an apparent indication of fixation, support this inference. We suggest that hydrogeological isolation is the reason for the genome of the Gobio sakaryaensis population to have evolved mainly by genetic drift.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 236-240. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
A new species of weevil of the genus Rhytideres (Coleoptera: Entiminae: Alophini) from Inner Anatolia (Turkey)
Mahmut Erbey
A new species, Rhytideres evrani Erbey sp. n., is described from Inner Anatolia (Turkey), which is closely related to R. plicatus Olivier, 1790.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 241-245. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
A new trehala-constructing Larinus Dejean (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) from Iran
Levent Gültekin and Saideh Shahreyary-Nejad
A new Larinus species is described from Iran which constructs a pupal chamber outside of the host plant stems, named “trehala”. Larinus trehalanus sp. n. is a fifth trehala-constructing species from this genus. The host plant is Cousinia stocksii C. Winkl. (Asteraceae). The larva builds up the trehala on the stem base and develops individually inside this trehala capsule. Then pupation and the new generation of adult emergence take place in the same niche. A description, differential diagnosis, illustration, and short ecological notes are given for the new species.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 246-251. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
A new species of the genus Chrysolina Motschulsky, 1860 from Turkey (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Chrysomelinae)
İsmail Şen
A new leaf beetle species, Chrysolina (Lopatinica) kabalaki sp. n., from Northeast Turkey is described and compared with closely related species. Habitus and male genitalia of the species are photographed. A key is provided for the species.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 252-255. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Bee diversity (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) visiting Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.) flowers in Egypt
Mohamed A. Shebl and Mahmoud Farag
Different bee flower visitors were observed during the flowering seasons of Broad Bean in Ismailia, eastern Egypt, the Nile Delta and Alexandria, western Egypt. Eight major bee visitors were observed: Andrena ovatula (Kirby, 1802), Andrena sp. (Andrenidae), Chalicodoma siculum (Rossi, 1792) (Megachilidae), Colletes lacunatus Dours, 1872 (Colletidae), Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758, Anthophora hispanica (Fabricius, 1787), A. aegyptiaca (Dalla Torre and Friese, 1895) and Xylocopa pubescens (Spinola, 1838) (Apidae). Anthophora hispanica and A. aegyptiaca as well as Chalicodoma siculum had their peak flying period in the middle of the flowering season of the Broad Bean, while Xylocopa pubescens and Andrena sp. had their peak period in the second half of the flowering period.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 256-263. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
High genetic diversity in southwest Asian populations of Philaenus spumarius (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha)
Anna Maryańska-Nadachowska, Ehsan Sanaie and Łukasz Kajtoch
The genus Philaenus is one of the best investigated among Auchenorrhyncha, and several morphological, ecological, karyological, and molecular data have led to a designation of up to 10 species, distributed mainly in the Mediterranean and southwestern Asia. The only widespread Palaearctic species, P. spumarius, is known to be structured phylogeographically as it consists of two highly divergent mitochondrial clades (northeast, NE and southwest, SW), with several subclades. This study contributes to the species phylogeography through the study of the genetic diversity and affinity of P. spumarius populations from southwestern Asia. Mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome B) show a high level of genetic diversity within Turkish and Iranian populations, the majority of which belong to the SW clade, and only single populations from northeastern Turkey are found to be substantially highly divergent lineages within the NE clade. One of the NE populations also showed significant differences in the distribution and amount of heterochromatin compared to other populations. According to the results of this study and previous phylogenetic and phylogeographic works on this species, we conclude that Southwestern Asia is probably the place of origin of the Philaenus spumarius.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 264-272. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
A new species of Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) from Armenia
Wilson R. Lourenço and Elise-Anne Leguin
Two buthid species previously recorded from Armenia are confirmed: Androctonus crassicauda (Olivier, 1807) and Mesobuthus eupeus (C. L. Koch, 1839). Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880), is recorded for the first time for this country. A new species of Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 is described on the basis of two adult females and three juveniles. From the absence of outer denticles on the movable finger of the pedipalps, the new species is placed in the acutecarinatus group. The new species of Compsobuthus represents the first record of this genus for Armenia.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 273-277. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Redescription of Rhagodes eylandti (Walter, 1889) (Arachnida: Solifugae) with notes on its morphological variation and geographic distribution
Hassan Maddahi, Haji Gholi Kami, Mansour Aliabadian and Omid Mirshamsi
Rhagodes Pocock, 1897 is the most speciose genus within the family Rhagodidae and species diagnosis is often very difficult. We found Rhagodes eylandti (Walter, 1889) for the first time again since the 1930s and redescribe some morphological features of the male and compare them with the literature. The main diagnostic characters are illustrated.
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 278-284. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Short Communications
New records of marine water mites (Acari: Hydrachnidia, Pontarachnidae) from the eastern Mediterranean Sea (İzmir Bay, Turkey)
Kamil Koç, Merve Türksel and Vladimir Pešić
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 285-287. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
New records of dragonflies (Odonata) from Belutschistan-e-Sistan province in Iran
Thomas Schneider, Dietmar Ikemeyer and Henri J. Dumont
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 288-290. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
First record in Syria of Androthrips ramachandrai Karny, 1926 (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae)
Ali Yaseen Ali
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 291-293. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
Obituary
In memory of Dr. Adwan Shehab
Zuhair Amr
Zoology in the Middle East 61(3), 2015: 294. | Access Options: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/tzme20/current#.UZ8U1Z3wCig
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