A new beetle species Laemostenus sahlakensis is identified in Iran's Sahlak caves, highlighting biodiversity in cave ecosystems.
A new species of the genus Laemostenus Bonelli, 1810, Laemostenus (Antisphodrus) sahlakensis sp. n., is described from a cave in the southern Zagros Mountains of Iran. With this addition, the number of known Laemostenus species in Iran rises to 27, including 14 species within the subgenus Antisphodrus. The new species is closely related to L. aequalis Muilwijk & Malek-Hosseini, 2016 and L. zakariyiensis Muilwijk, Tahami & Lohaj, 2017, but differs from them in several morphological features. Antisphodrus species inhabit high mountains, forests, and caves. Here, an updated identification key to the cave-dwelling Iranian Antisphodrus species is provided, along with photographs and distribution maps of the aequalis species group.
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