Cave crickets of Turkey (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae): Their taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography in the light of morphological and molecular data

In this research, taxonomy, phylogeny and biogeography of cave crickets which were collected between years 2006-2010 from different regions of Turkey were investigated in the light of morphological and molecular data. In this thesis which is the first study on the cave crickets of Turkey, morphologically, 19 quantitative characters of Troglophilus and 20 quantitative characters of Dolichopoda were measured and the taxonomy of cave crickets found in Turkey were also studied by examining qualitative characters used for their identification. Besides qualitative and quantitative characters of specimens in Caucasia and Samos and Kalymnos islands of Greece which abroad of our country, included the statistically analyses. As results of diagnosis, 4 new species belonging to Troglophilus and 1 new species belonging to Dolichopoda were found and preparing for publication. Within the molecular studies, sequence of 16S rDNA gene sequences are used (Caucasia, Crete, Samos and Kalymnos islands also included) for phylogenetical analyses (Bayesian analyses, molecular clock dating etc) and results are used for phylogenetical and biogeographical evaluations and hypothesis.