Description of Protracheoniscus faramarzi n. sp., the first troglophilic terrestrial isopod (Isopoda: Oniscidea) from Iran

Document Type : Research articles

Authors

• Ghasem Mohammadi Kashani ¹
• Meysam Dashan ²
• Saber Sadeghi ²

¹ Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

² Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

10.22067/ijab.v12i1.48820

Abstract

The present study reports on the first troglophilic terrestrial isopod from Iran. Protracheoniscus faramarzi n. sp. was found in Shafagh Cave, southern Iran. The new species is described and its diagnostic characters are figured. This species is distinguished by the long and narrow antennae, the reduced body pigmentation and the number of ommatidia. 

Keywords

• Oniscidea
• cavernicolous
• troglophile
• new species
• Iran

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References

Arefnia, S. 2013. Fars caves [in Persian]. Shiraz Press, 158 pp.

 

Kashani, G.M., Malekhosseini, M. & Sadeghi, S. 2013. First recorded cave-dwelling terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) in Iran with a description of a new species. Zootaxa, 3734: 591–596.

 

Romero, A. 2009. Cave Biology, life in darkness. Cambridge University Press, 291 pp.