Taxonomy of the semiterrestrial crab Lepidothelphusa cognettii (Nobili, 1903) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae), with descriptions of five new species from Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo
Author
Grinang, Jongkar
Author
Ng, Peter K. L.
text
Raffles Bulletin of Zoology
2015
2015-12-18
63
564
582
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.5386711
2345-7600
5386711
BAA493D3-8195-417B-ABD8-A36D3FD90533
Lepidothelphusa flavochela
,
new species
(
Figs. 3A–I
,
4A–E
,
13C, D
)
Material examined.
Holotype
: male (8.1 ×
7.2 mm
) (
ZRC 2015.0604
),
194 m
above sea level
, Pagar Besi, Kampung Gumbang, Bau,
Sarawak
, coll.
J Grinang
et al.,
15 February 2013
.
Paratypes
:
4 males
(largest 8.5 ×
7.5 mm
),
5 females
(largest 9.9 ×
8.8 mm
) (SBC.C.00392–401), data same as holotype
.
Diagnosis.
Carapace quadrate, surface relatively flat, rugose, anterolateral margins smooth; antero- and posterolateral regions slightly rugose; epibranchial tooth undiscernible; infra-, supra-orbital margins confluent gradually, external orbital tooth with outer margin concave, smooth; serrated projection on frontal region distinct; epigastric and postorbital cristae distinct, relatively low, margins serrated; cervical and H-grooves relatively shallow, not confluent (
Fig. 3A, B, D
); ischium of third maxilliped rhomboidal, much longer than broad, sulcus undiscernible (
Fig. 3F
); inner margin of merus of chelipeds with relatively lower serrated projection (
Fig. 3I
); carpus of chelipeds smooth, inner angle with broad, low triangular tooth (
Fig. 3A
); fingers of adult major male chela gaping (
Fig. 3G, H
); ambulatory legs relatively long, merus of fourth ambulatory legs subequal to length of carapace (
Fig. 3A, E
); male abdomen triangular, somite 6 width and length subequal, subequal to length of telson (
Fig. 3C
); G1 stout, sinuous in ventral view, straight in dorsal view; terminal segment straight in dorsal view, curved in ventral view (
Fig. 4A, B, D, E
); G2 with relatively long distal segment, about half length of basal segment (
Fig. 4C
).
Colour.
In life, males have uniformly yellow chela, creamwhite ambulatory legs and the anterior part of the carapace is yellowish-orange with the posterior part pale orange to yellowish-white. Females are dark brown overall (
Fig. 13C, D
).
Etymology.
The name is derived from the Latin “flavo” combined with chela, alluding to the entire yellowish chela. The name is used as a noun in apposition.
Remarks.
Lepidothelphusa flavochela
,
new species
, is most easily distinguished from
L. cognettii
s. str.
and congeners in having poorly developed epigastric and postorbital cristae (
Fig. 3B, D
versus
Figs. 1B, D
,
5B, D
,
7B, D
,
9B, D
,
11B, D
). Its coloration in life is closest to
L. limau
,
new species
, especially with the dorsal surface of adults having the anterior half orange and posterior part lighter; and the legs cream-white. The chelae are also similar in colour except that in
L. flavochela
, even the fingers are yellow (
Fig. 13C
) while in
L. limau
, the fingers are white (
Fig. 13E
). The yellow chela of
L. flavochela
(
Fig. 13C, D
) is a character shared by
L. loi
and
L. sangon
but these species have the carapace a more uniform reddish-brown to orange and the legs are reddish-brown (
Figs. 14A, B, E, F
). The G1s of these species are quite different. The terminal segment of the G1 of
L. flavochela
(
Fig. 4A, B, D, E
) is proportionately longer than that of
L. limau
(
Fig. 6A, B, D, E
) and
L. loi
(
Fig. 8A, B, D, E
), while in
L. sangon
, it is much straighter with the distal opening more flared and the lateral margins of the subterminal segment sinuous (
Fig. 12A, B, D, E
).
Habitat.
The habitat is similar to that of
L. cognettii
s. str.
except that it is less than
200 m
above sea level.