The First Molecular Phylogeny of Orthochirus fomichevi Kovařík, Yağmur, Fet & Hussen, 2 (0S1c9o rpiones: Buthidae) From Duhok Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, as Inferred from Mitochondrial COI Gene.

Introduction: Kovařík, Yağmur, Fet & Hussen, 2019 comprises small-sized scorpions in the family Buthidae, inhabiting the Kurdistan region of Iraq and parts of Turkey. Despite the availability of some molecular data, the phylogenetic relationship and genetic variation within this species remain largely unexplored. Materials & Methods: collected from Duhok Province, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Results: isolates from GenBank were genetically very close to each other, indicating that they belong to the same species. Conclusion: isolates from the GenBank database. These findings underscore the importance of integrating molecular tools with morphological analysis for accurate scorpion taxonomy.