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

An annotated checklist of the Collembola (Hexapoda) from Iran

Based on available literature sources, we have listed the genera and species of springtails (Collembola) of Iran located in Southwest Asia. In total, 301 named species of Collembola are listed in catalogue. This includes 286 described species in 109 genera from 20 families recorded from Iran. Of them, 15 species are also considered as dubious species. It also includes 15 genera whose species are still unknown. Information about biology, geographical distribution, ecology, authorship records for different provinces, and bibliographical data of Iranian Collembola are included.

Contribution to the knowledge of Neanurinae of north-western Iran with description of seven new species (Collembola, Neanuridae)

Seven new species of the subfamily Neanurinae from north-western Iran are described and illustrated in detail. Endonura agnieskae sp. nov. differs from the most similar congener, E. reticulata (Axelson, 1905), in chaetotaxic details and the arrangement of tubercles on the dorsal side of the body. Endonura annae sp. nov. can be easily recognised by its wide labrum, the absence of chaetae C on the head and the presence of a toothed claw. Endonura schwendingeri sp. nov. is especially distinctive due to the absence of chaetae A and Ocp on the head and the presence of the male ventral organ. Deutonura breviseta sp. nov. is related and most similar to D. persica Smolis, Shayanmehr & Yoosefi-Lafooraki, 2018, described recently and known from Mazandran Province in Iran. The new species can be easily distinguished by the following set of features: dark pigmented body, presence of chaetae C and Dl3 on the head, absence of microchaetae on the furca rudimentary, presence of thickened macrochaetae on dorsal side of body and absence of cryptopygy. The main characteristics of Deutonura sengleti sp. nov. include a white body with dark pigmented eyes, the fusion of tubercles Di and De on the first thoracic segment and the presence of the male ventral organ. Deutonura iranica sp. nov. is superficially similar to D. gibbosa Porco, Bedos & Deharveng, 2010, a species known from the Alps and Jura in Europe, but it differs in the body colour and the number of labial chaetae and chaetae (L+So) on the head. Paravietnura rostrata sp. nov., the first member of this enigmatic and intriguing genus known from Iran, is characterised by an unusually elongate ogival labrum and extreme reduction of dorsal chaetotaxy. Furthermore, new records of several other species of the subfamily: Cryptonura maxima Smolis, Falahati & Skarżyński, 2012; C. persica Smolis, Falahati & Skarżyński, 2012; Deutonura persica; Endonura longirostris Smolis, Shayanmehr, Kuznetsova & Yoosefi-Lafooraki, 2017; E. paracentaurea Smolis, Shayanmehr, Kuznetsova & Yoosefi-Lafooraki, 2017; Neanura deharvengi Smolis, Shayanmehr & Yoosefi-Lafooraki, 2018; N. muscorum (Templeton, 1835) and Protanura papillata Cassagnau & Delamare Deboutteville, 1955 are given. The present study is based on the rich material collected by Antoine Senglet and loaned by Peter J. Schwendinger.

The genera Albanura Deharveng, 1982 and Persanura Mayvan et al., 2015 are no longer monotypic: description of new species from the Caucasus (Collembola, Neanuridae, Neanurinae, Neanurini)

Two new species from the Caucasus belonging to the genera Albanura and Persanura are described and illustrated in detail. Albanura secundasp. n. is distinctive because of the presence of chaetae E on the head as well as three ordinary chaetae on tubercles De of thorax III and abdomen I-III. Additionally, the species can be recognized by the absence of chaeta O on the head and presence of 3+3 chaetae Di on abdomen V. The most important characters that can be used to distinguish Persanura lencaranasp. n. are the labral formula, an increased number of chaetae De on thorax II and III, and the number of chaetae Di on the thorax and abdomen V. Comments on the status of the genera and the affinities of the Caucasian fauna of Neanurinae are also given.

Paravietnura gen. n., a new intriguing genus of Neanurini from the Caucasus (Collembola, Neanuridae, Neanurinae)

Paravietnuragen. n. is described and established for two new species of Neanurini from the Caucasus. The new genus is characterized by an unusual combination of features: the fusion of all lateral tubercles on the head into a single mass, the strong reduction of chaetae on the head, the fusion of cephalic tubercles Af and Oc into a transverse band, the absence of labial chaetae f, the presence of microchaetae on furca rudimentary, and the penultimate abdominal tergum with two tubercles separated along the midline. Paravietnuragen. n. strongly resembles Vietnura Deharveng & Bedos, 2000, a monotypic genus up to date known only from Vietnam. The main characteristics of Paravietnura notabilissp. n. include an ogival labrum, the absence of chaetae A on the head, relatively thick and widely sheathed long macrochaetae, and minute microchaetae without chaetopores on furca rudimentary. Paravietnura insolitasp. n. differs from the previous species in chaetotaxic details, the size of furcal microchaetae, and the shape of the labrum. Short comments on the generic diversity of the tribe in the Western Palaearctic are also provided.