A new species of Arrhopalites Börner, 1906 (Collembola, Symphypleona, Arrhopalitidae) from Iran with an updated key to A. diversus group of species.

A new springtail species of the family Arrhopalitidae, Arrhopalites persicus sp. nov., is described from Kermanshah Province in Iran. It belongs to the diversus group of species with 3, 2, 1, 1 anterior setae on dens. It is separated from all members of this group by presence of 5+5 circumanal spines on the sixth abdominal segment and it shows reduced tibiotarsal chaetotaxy. It is the second species of the genus recorded in the country. A key to Arrhopalites diversus group of species is updated.

Description of Hypogastrura ellisi sp. n. with notes on H. tethyca Ellis and the trybomi group (Collembola, Hypogastruridae).

A new species, Hypogastrura ellisi, from Iran and Greece is described. It does not fit the definition of any known species group, but, as it has weakly differentiated blunt Ant. IV sensilla, one tenent hair on tibiotarsi, broad empodial lamellae, and dens with fine granulation and seven setae, it can be compared with some members of the trybomi and monticola groups and H. aterrima Yosii, 1972. It seems to be especially close to a representative of the trybomi group, H. tethyca Ellis, 1976. They differ mainly in the shape of apical papillae on the labrum, the size of anal spines, and the presence of setae m2 on Th. II. Notes on H. tethyca, the trybomi group, and a key to the species of the group are given.

Redescription of Protanura papillata Cassagnau & Delamare Deboutteville, 1955 (Collembola, Neanuridae, Neanurinae), with new records from Middle East, and with supplemented diagnosis and key to the genus.

The poorly known Neanurini genus Protanura is rediagnosed and briefly compared with Lathriopyga. Protanura papillata Cassagnau & Delamare Deboutteville, 1955, known to date only from Lebanon, is redescribed based on the lectotype and new extensive material from Middle East.

The genus Ctenolepisma (Zygentoma: Lepismatidae) in Western Iran, with description of three new species.

Several samples belonging to the genus Ctenolepisma Escherich, 1905 collected in western Iran allow us to describe three new species: Ctenolepisma iranicum n. sp., C. sagartianum n. sp. and C. kermanshanum n. sp. Ctenolepisma iranicum n. sp. belongs to the nominate subgenus Ctenolepisma sensu stricto and is closely related to C. ciliatum and C. armeniacum. The other two new species belong to the subgenus Sceletolepisma. They are compared mainly with Asian species belonging to this subgenus, which is reported for the first time in Iran. Moreover, Ctenolepisma sagartianum n. sp. and C. kermanshanum n. sp. show a chaetotaxy that includes them in the species group "villosa", being characterized by bearing a median comb on urosternites II‒VI. Additionally, Ctenolepisma armeniacum is reported for the first time in Iran and the male of this species is described. The total number of species of Ctenolepisma known for Iran is seven, although the occurrence of C. mauritanicum has not been confirmed. An identification key for these species is presented.

Endonura Cassagnau in Iran, with a key to species of the genus (Collembola, Neanuridae, Neanurinae).

Three new species of Endonura are described from Iran. Endonura dichaeta sp. n. can be recognized by an ogival labrum, head without chaetae O and E, chaeta D connected with tubercle Cl, tubercle Dl with five chaetae on head, absence of tubercles Di on thorax I and tubercle (Di+Di) of thorax V with 2+2 chaetae. Endonura ceratolabralis sp. n. is characterized by large body size, reduction of labral chaetotaxy, ogival labrum, head without chaeta O and fusion of tubercles Di and De on first thoracic segment. Endonura persica sp. n. is distinguished from its congeners by a nonogival labrum, absence of chaeta O, tubercles Dl and (L+So) with five and eight chaetae respectively and claw with inner tooth. The key to all species of the genus is given.

Taxonomy of the Proisotoma complex. V. Sexually dimorphic Ephemerotoma gen. nov. (Collembola: Isotomidae).

A new genus is proposed based on a new species from Iran, Ephemerotoma skarzynskii gen. et sp. nov., and three known species: E. huadongensis (Chen, 1985) comb. nov., E. multituberculata (Martynova, 1971) comb. nov. and E. porcella (Ellis, 1976) comb. nov. The genus shares the characters of Subisotoma Stach and Proctostephanus Börner and is distributed in southern areas of Eurasia (Eastern Mediterranean, Iran, Tajikistan, China). Ephemerotoma gen. nov. belongs to the Proisotoma-complex and is characterized by a simple maxillary palp, only 4 guards on labial papilla E and 2 prelabral chaetae. Four s-chaetae on Abd.V are arranged in two rows, two anterior and two posterior chaetae. All members of Ephemerotoma gen. nov. are redescribed or discussed based on type or fresh material, and a key to species of the genus is given. Scutisotoma potapovi Xie & Chen, 2008 is considered a synonym of E. huadongensis, while Proisotoma anopolitana is moved to the genus Proctostephanus. Sexual dimorphism is described for three species.

The genus Folsomides Stach (Collembola, Isotomidae) in Kermanshah Province (W Iran) with the description of two new species.

The genus Folsomides Stach, 1922 is represented by four species in the Iranian fauna, two of which are new to the science. Folsomides halshinicus sp. nov. and Folsomides subvinosus sp. nov. are found in Kermanshah Province (Western Iran). The new species belong to the Folsomides angularis (Axelson, 1905) group and they are distinguishable from other congeneric species by the macrochaetotaxy (11/22233 macrochaetae on thoracic II to abdominal V tergites) and the number of chaetae on dens. A table with the diagnostic characters for the identification of Iranian species of Folsomides is given. Some figures of F.vinosus Fjellberg, 1993 from Canary Island was given after study of type specimens.

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.

A new species and new records of the genus Hypogastrura Bourlet, 1839 (Collembola, Hypogastruridae) from Iran.

Hypogastrura persica sp. nov. is described from the Zagros Mountains (Kermanshah Province, Iran). The new species can be distinguished from two nearest congeners, namely H. exigua Gisin, 1958 (Alps) and H. magistri Babenko, 1994 (Siberia), by the body size, the number of sensilla on antennal segment IV, the number of setae on dens and ventral tube as well as chaetotaxy of abdominal terga IV and V. Three species of the genus, viz. H. martiani Skarzynski & Kaprus', 2009, H. purpurescens (Lubbock, 1867) and H. socialis (Uzel, 1891), have been recorded from Iran for the first time.