The cave crickets of Greece: a contribution to the study of Southern Balkan Rhaphidophoridae diversity (Orthoptera), with the description of a new species of Troglophilus Krauss, 1879

The taxonomy, geographic distribution and ecology of Rhaphidophoridae of Greece are updated herein. At present, 28 species of Dolichopoda Bolívar, 1880 and five species of Troglophilus Krauss, 1879 are known to colonize Greek caves and, in a few circumstances, epigean habitats. Dolichopoda includes a high number of species and shows a wide geographic distribution, including most of Greece. The genus diversity peaks in the Hellenic region, which hosts 28 of the 51 species described thus far. Most of the Dolichopoda species show a high degree of endemism, being recorded from only one or a few caves in restricted geographic areas. The thermo-xerophilic climate characterizing most of the southern Balkan Peninsula and the high fragmentation of the Greek karstic areas could have played an important role in the reduction of gene flow among cave cricket populations, leading to strong isolation and multiple speciation events. All the Dolichopoda species found in the area are highly dependent on caves and show clear adaptations to the subterranean ecosystems. Of the five Troglophilus species known for the area, only two occur in continental Greece, with a very scattered geographic distribution including a few mountain localities in northern and central Greece. The remaining three species are widespread throughout Crete and some Aegean islands. Finally the newly discovered Troglophilus zoiai n. sp. from a cave on the western slope of Mount Parnassos (central Greece) is described.