We studied the evolutionary relationship of two widely distributed parapatric butterfly species, Melitaea athalia and Melitaea celadussa, using the ddRAD sequencing approach, as well as genital morphology and mtDNA data. M. athalia was retrieved as paraphyletic with respect to M. celadussa. Several cases of mito-nuclear discordance and morpho-genetic mismatch were found in the contact zone. A strongly diverged and marginally sympatric clade of M. athalia from the Balkans was revealed. An in-depth analysis of genomic structure detected high levels of admixture between M. athalia and M. celadussa at the contact zone, though not reaching the Balkan clade. The demographic modelling of populations supported the intermediate genetic make-up of European M. athalia populations with regards to M. celadussa and the Balkan clade. However, the dissimilarity matrix of genotype data (PCoA) suggested the Balkan lineage having a genetic component that is unrelated to the athalia-celadussa group. Although narrowly sympatric, almost no signs of gene flow were found between the main M. athalia group and the Balkan clade. We propose two possible scenarios on the historical evolution of our model taxa and the role of the last glacial maximum in shaping their current distribution. Finally, we discuss the complexities regarding the taxonomic delimitation of parapatric taxa.

A survey of wingless insects belonging to the orders Microcoryphia (=Archaeognatha) and Zygentoma (=Thysanura s. str.) has been performed in subterranean habitats of central Iran. As a result, several new species have been discovered. In this work, three new species are described: a new species of bristletail of the family Machilidae,Haslundiellairanicasp. n., a new silverfish of the family Lepismatidae,Ctenolepismasubterraneumsp. n., and a new Nicoletiidae, Lepidospora (Brinckina) momtazianasp. n.These new taxa are compared with related species in their respective genera and keys for their identification are provided: one for all known species ofHaslundiellaand one for all basal insects of subterranean environments of Iran which includes those previously reported. Moreover, the previously published keys of IranianCtenolepismaand the subgenus Brinckina are modified to include the new species. Three additional species of Lepismatidae are reported in this work:Neoasterolepìsma palmoniiandCtenolepismatargioniiare newly recorded from Iran and both species, together withAcrotelsacollaris, are cited for the first time in the subterranean habitats. This survey progresses the knowledge on the biodiversity of these insects in Iran.

The species belonging to the Sphodrine genus Laemostenus Bonelli, 1810 from central and southern Zagros Mts. and central zones of Iran were studied. Two new species-groups of the subgenus Antisphodrus Schaufuss, 1865 are proposed, and seven new species belonging to subgenera Antisphodrus Schaufuss, 1865 and Iranosphodrus Lohaj & Casale, 2011 are described. Morphological characters of the habitus and shape of male genitalia were used to delimit the species. New species of subgenus Antisphodrus are: L. (A.) zagrosensis sp. nov. and L. (A.) speleophilus sp. nov. from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, and L. (A.) farsicus sp. nov. from Fars province (zagrosensis species-group); Laemostenus (A) zakariyiensis sp. nov. from Fars province (aequalis species-group), and L. (A.) shirazensis sp. nov. from Fars province (glasunowi species-group). Based on the newly collected material, the subgenus Iranosphodrus is redefined and two new species from Yazd province are described: L.(I.) yazdensis sp. nov. and L.(I.) troglophilus sp. nov. An identification key for the Laemostenus species of the studied area is provided, and a check list for Iranian representatives of subgenera Antisphodrus and Iranosphodrus are given.

Discovery of representatives of the family Nicoletiidae (Insecta: Zygentoma) from caves of Iran, with descriptions of two new supraspecific taxa

Six new species of Leptodes Dejean, 1834 are described from caves in southern parts of Iran: Leptodes (Leptodes) chakchakensis sp. nov., L. (Leptodes) farashahi sp. nov., L. (Mesoleptodes) karmaniae sp. nov., L. (Mesoleptodes) khanensis sp. nov., L. (Mesoleptodes) persiae sp. nov., L. (Mesoleptodes) shapouri sp. nov. The species Leptodes (Mesoleptodes) kulzeri Kaszab, 1959 and L. (Mesoleptodes) solieri Semenov, 1909 are redescribed based on recently collected specimens. An identification key to the nine Leptodes species known from Iran is given.