A revision of the genus Isotomurus (Collembola: Isotomidae) in northern Iran using molecular evidence.

Three new species of Isotomurus Börner are described from northern Iran. Status of studied populations is confirmed as new species by using COI and 28SrRNA markers. The new species belong to species-group characterized by 3,3,1 trichobothria on Abd. II-IV, 3+3 laterodistal setae on ventral tube, and no seta on mucro. Isotomurus hyrcanicus sp. nov. is similar to I. palustris Müller in color pattern, but has two lateral bands on last abdominal segments and 10-13 setae on retinaculum. Results of COI analyses shows that all color forms in population of the new species are conspecific. Isotomurus potapovi sp. nov. has a dorsomedial band from Th. II to Abd. V and 6-7 setae on retinaculm, and Isotomurus katule sp. nov. has a uniform body color and 5-8 setae on retinaculum. An identification key for recorded species of genus Isotomurus in Iran is provided. Color pattern as a common character used to identify Isotomurus species is not always reliable and its efficiency needs to be verified for each species.

New Pseudachorutes species Tullberg, 1871 (Collembola, Neanuridae) with a key to Iranian species of the genus.

Two new species of the genus Pseudachorutes, namely P. hyrcanicus sp. nov. and P. kurdistanicus sp. nov., are described based on materials from different parts of Iran. P. hyrcanicus sp. nov. seem to be especially similar to Pseudachorutes dubius Krausbauer, 1898 and Pseudachorutes vitalii Kaprus Weiner, 2009, two congeners with the same labral formula (4/2,3,4), shape of apical bulb (trilobed) and details of chaetotaxy (unpaired chaeta d1 present and a0 absent on head, a2 chaeta absent on Tht. II and III, m row chaetae present on Abdt. IV, tibiotarsi I-III with 18, 18, 17 chaetae respectively), but are distinguished by the number of chaetae on Tht. I (4+4 in P. dubius, 3+3 in P. vitalii and P. hyrcanicus sp. nov.) and Abdt. IV (11+11 in P. dubius and P. hyrcanicus sp.nov. and 14(15) + 14 in P. vitalii), number of teeth at mandible (two in P. dubius and P. vitalii and four in P. hyrcanicus sp.nov.) and claw (lateral teeth present in P. dubius and P. vitalii and absent in P. hyrcanicus sp.nov.). Pseudachorutes kurdistanicus sp. nov. is related to P. laricis Arbea Jordana,1989 and P. vasylii Kaprus Weiner, 2009 because of the same type of chaetotaxy of head (d1 chaetae present and a0 chaeta absent), Tht. I (3+3 chaetae), Tht. II-III (without a2 chaeta), Abdt. IV (m row chaetae absent), Abdt. V (a2 and p2 chaetae absent) and the absence of lateral teeth on claws. The last three species differ in number of vesicles in PAO (1112 in P. kurdistanicus sp. nov., 46 in P. vasylii and 7-97-9 in P. laricis), shape of apical vesicle on Ant. IV. (trilobed in P. kurdistanicus sp. nov. and simple or slightly bilobed in the other two species), labral formula (4/2,3,4 in a new species, 2/2,3,3,4 in P. laricis and 2/3,3,4 in P. vasylii) and number of chaetae on tibiotarsi I-III (18, 18, 17 in a new species and 19, 19, 18 in the other two species). An identification key of the species of Pseudachorutes recorded so far from Iran is given.

Vertagopus (Collembola, Isotomidae) of Iran and Caucasus.

The materials on the genus Vertagopus Börner from the Caucasus and Iran are revised. Two new species, V. persicus sp. nov. and V. nunataki sp. nov., are described and fauna of the genus in the Western Asia is commented.

Three new remarkable species of the genus Endonura Cassagnau, 1979 from the Middle East and Central Asia (Collembola, Neanuridae, Neanurinae, Neanurini).

New species belonging to the genus Endonura is described and illustrated in detail. Endonura longirostrissp. n., from northern Iran, is distinctive due to an exceptionally elongate buccal cone compared to that of most other species of the genus. Other characteristic features of the species are the white body with pigmented eyes, a reduced chaetotaxy of the lateral part of the head, the thorax II-III and abdomen I-III with free chaetae De2 and 3, and abdomen IV with particularly short chaetae Di1. The main characteristics of Endonura paracentaureasp. n. include a white body with dark pigmented eyes, a nonogival labrum, the presence of tubercles Di on the first thoracic segment and of microchaetae on the rudimentary furca. Endonura turkmenicasp. n. can be recognized by its bluish-grey body, labral chaetotaxy, free chaetae E on the head, and notably short chaetae De3 on the thorax and the abdomen. Short remarks on the possible importance of labral modifications are also provided.

An introduction to Iranian Collembola (Hexapoda): an update to the species list.

The Collembola fauna of Iran is little known and no comprehensive examination of this group of Hexapoda is available for this region. The only notable work on Collembola was carried out by Cox (1982). Recently, studies on the Collembola fauna have started in several regions. In this paper, publications by different researchers are documented and the species that have been found in different regions of Iran until January 2013 are listed. At present, 112 species, belonging to 18 families and 57 genera are known from Iran.