Turbanov I.S.1, Kolesnikov V.B.2 2020. Two new cave-dwelling species of the false scorpion genus Pseudoblothrus Beier, 1931 (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones: Syarinidae) from the Crimean Peninsula // Arthropoda Selecta. Vol.29. No.1: 28–50 [in English].
1 I.D. Papanin Institute of Biology of Inland Waters of Russian Academy of Sciences, Borok, Yaroslav Region, 152742, Russia. E-mail: turba13@mail.ru
2 All-Russian Research Institute of Protection of Plants, VNIISS, Voronezh Region, 396030, Russia. E-mail: jukoman@yandex.ru
doi: 10.15298/arthsel.29.1.03
ABSTRACT. We provide a description of two new false scorpions species of the genus Pseudoblothrus Beier, 1931, P. arcanus sp.n. and P. golovatchi sp.n., from the caves of south-western Crimean Mountains. The species are morphologically similar, but differ in the presence of four eye spots, present in P. arcanus sp.n. and absent in P. golovatchi sp.n. The results of the phylogenetic analysis of the new species, including data for the third Crimean species P. roszkovskii (Redikorzev, 1918), are given. They show the differences between all Crimean species of the genus Pseudoblothrus. We discuss the reconstruction of a possible speciation scenario for the modern range of the genus Pseudoblothrus in Crimea. Most likely it is associated with certain features of regional historical geology and the results of paleoclimatic events that could affect speciation.
KEY WORDS: Pseudoscorpion, new species, taxonomy, phylogeny, cave, speciation.