?A new obligate groundwater species of Asellus (Isopoda, Asellidae) from Iran

With only 43 described stygobionts and two isopod species the obligate groundwater fauna of Iran, a vast country with over 10% limestone surface, is inadequately known. Here, we report discovery Asellus ismailsezarii sp. nov. from Zagros mountains, first eyeless depigmented asellid Iran. The new morphologically similar to monticola Birstein, 1932, but it fully depigmented, has slightly curved pereopod IV does not bear any setae on proximal margins exopodite pleopods V. Species phylogenetic relationships using original datamined mitochondrial DNA nuclear rDNA, estimation molecular divergences other species, suggest that A. sister larger clade also contains European aquaticus complex. Surface populations have colonized at multiple occasions localities, both in Europe Asia, giving rise subspecies evolved troglomorphisms, such as depigmentation loss eyes. Of 37 formally , 15 are groundwater, including We predict many more taxa yet be discovered Asia.