Convergent evolution underground - two new troglomorphic collembolan species of the genus Schaefferia Absolon, 1900 (Collembola, Poduromorpha, Hypogastruridae) from Iran and Montenegro

By

Kováč, Ľubomír
Karaman, Marko
Mehrafrooz Mayvan, Mahmood

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-11-5

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

54

Pages

1--22

Subjects

Cave springtails , convergent evolution , Phylogeny , Schaefferia , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.54.157228

 

Abstract

<br> Two new subterranean springtail species of the genus<br> Schaefferia<br> Absolon, 1900 are described:<br> S. greensladeae<br> sp. nov.<br> from Danial Cave in the Alborz Mountains, Iran, and<br> S. montenegrina<br> sp. nov.<br> from Babatuša Cave in Dinaric Karst, Montenegro. Both species are characterized by the absence of eyes and postantennal organ (PAO) having more than 5 lobes in the contrary to other eyeless congeners that have less than 5 lobes in PAO. Morphological traits of both species indicate high level of association with the subterranean environment. The phylogenetic relationships and morphological adaptations of two new species to subterranean life are discussed.<br> Schaefferia greensladeae<br> sp. nov.<br> and<br> S. montenegrina<br> sp. nov.<br> serve as a good example of convergent evolution that is characteristic of invertebrates highly adapted to deep subterranean realm. An updated key to the world species of the genus and a table summarizing diagnostic characters of the world species of<br> Schaefferia<br> are provided.<br>