Molecular phylogeny and systematics of <i>Acrotoma</i> (Gastropoda: Clausiliidae) from the Caucasus

The land snail genus <i>Acrotoma</i> (Clausiliidae) from the western Greater Caucasus is revised and a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus is presented. Shells and, as far as known, genitalia of 13 species are described and figured. Two species are described as new to science, i.e., <i>A</i>. <i>vespa</i> sp. nov. and <i>A</i>. <i>enguriensis</i> sp. nov. The diagnostic characteristics are summarized in a table. All locality records are listed and shown in distribution maps. Based on Bayesian, Maximum likelihood and Maximum parsimony analyses of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences we revise the classification of the genus and suggest a division into three subgenera, <i>Iliamneme</i>, <i>Acrotomina</i> and <i>Acrotoma</i> s. str. The radiation of the <i>Acrotoma</i> species in the Pliocene and Quaternary might have been triggered by the orogenesis of the Greater Caucasus, which created habitats, such as canyons and alpine environments, to which the <i>Acrotoma</i> species adapted.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B14BE68-0E07-42EF-B08D-A75B2138B72F