Macro-invertebrates in the wetlands of the Zarrineh estuary at the south of Urmia lake [Iran]

This research summarizes the data on benthic macro invertebrates collected from 25 points in the urmia Lake wetlands during November 2008 to February 2009. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of elevated salinity and nutrient [nitrogen and phosphorus] levels on macro invertebrate abundance and composition. A total of 32 taxa were collected, and the common taxa, including Chironomidae [midges], Corixidae [water boatmen], Erythemis [damselflies], Ephemerella [mayflies], Hyalella [amphipods], and snails. Samples at ponds with salinities greater than 10 ppt showed a shift in community composition to salt-tolerant taxa and a reduction in total diversity. The corixid Trichocorixa vertical is, the brine shrimp Artemia partenogenetica, and the dipteran Ephydra are salt-tolerant species that only occur at high salinity levels. Ponds relatively high in nutrients had fewer total taxa, reduced abundance and diversity of aquatic beetles, lower diversity index values, and a greater dominance by chironomids than ponds low in nutrients. It is suggested to allocate about 10x10[6] cubic meters freshwater of the represented rivers to these wetlands to improve their trophic condition and transfer their hypereutrophic waters into the Urmia Lake for more production of the macro invertebrates both in the wetlands and on the lake

Infestations of piagetiella titan [Menoponidae: Mallophaga] on juvenile white pelicans [Pelecanus nocrotalus, L.] in urmia lake national park, northwest Iran

Pelecaniformes are large water birds feeding by hunting fish and living usually in the sea and in fresh water. Ectoparasitic lice of the genus Piagetiella are interesting from an ecological standpoint as they are found in the pouches of pelicans. Unlike chewing lice, which live on the body surface of the host, P. titan lives in the oral cavity of white pelicans [Pelecanus nocrotalus, L.]. This study aimed to determine the infestation of white pelicans with P. titan in Urmia Lake, Northwest Iran, between June and August from 2004 to 2006. Sixty-two juvenile white pelicans at three different age groups of < 1 [n = 8], 1-2 [n = 23] and 3-7 [n = 31] weeks were investigated and 59 birds were found infested with lice. A total of 1637 lice were collected from the oral cavity and body of the birds, with the number of lice ranging from one to 112 per bird. P. titan were identified according to the criteria described by Price [1970], including the number of setae in various parts of body, the structures of prosternal, mesosternal and metasternal plates, the structures of female and male genitalia, presence of two ventral stout subapical setae on tibia II-III and the number of the ctenidia on femur III. This report describes R titan on pelicans for the first time from Iran