A new hypogean species of Iberian Microtyphlus and review of the taxonomic position of Speleotyphlus and Aphaenotyphlus (Carabidae: Trechinae: Anillini)

A new species of cave-dwelling Anillini (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Microtyphlus charon n. sp. is described from the “Surgencia de l’Orao” Cave (Valencia, East Spain). M. charon n. sp. is close to two troglobiomorphic species, M. infernalis and M. alegrei (new comb.), sharing the same aedeagus morphology. These three species constitute a monophyletic group that is hypothesized as originating in the endogean environment of the southern end of the Iberian Mountain Range, around the Valencia trough. These three species live in caves that were possibly isolated by the Miocene basins. The analysis of key morphological characters in the Microtyphlus phyletic series showed that the slenderness of appendages, that defines taxa as Speleotyphlus and Aphaenotyphlus, are of little phylogenetic value, as this also happens with other troglobiomorphic features (e.g., depigmentation). However, other morphological characteristics (male aedeagus, chaetotaxy, labial tooth) suggest a close relationship between Microtyphlus, Speleotyphlus and Aphaenotyphlus, which leads us to propose the last two taxa as synonyms of Microtyphlus.