Ehecatusa, Ng & Low, 2010

Ng, P. K. L. & Low, M. E. Y., 2010, On the generic nomenclature of nine brachyuran names, with four replacement names and two nomina protecta (Crustacea: Decapoda), Zootaxa 2489 (1), pp. 34-46 : 35

Ehecatusa nom. nov. for Epithelphusa Rodríguez & Smalley, 1969 ( Pseudothelphusidae Ortmann, 1893 )

preoccupied by Epithelphusa Drago, 1887 ( Enchytraeidae : Clitellata: Annelida)

The name Epithelphusa catanensis was first used by Drago (1887: 81) for an oligochaete worm found on the gills of “ Telphusa fluviatilis ” in the province of Catania, Sicily. Although not explicitly stated, the etymology of the genus and species names can be readily inferred. From that locality, the host would almost certainly be the potamid crab, Potamon fluviatile (Herbst, 1785) . Drago’s name has seldom been used since and was synonymized by Michaelsen (1900: 78) under Lumbricillus Ørsted, 1844 . Apparently unaware of Michaelsen’s (1900) earlier action, Stiles & Hassall (1905: 104) treated Epithelphusa Drago, 1887 , as a valid taxon and designated E. catanensis Drago, 1887 , as the type species by monotypy, stating: “ Epithelphusa Drago , ‘1887a,’ 1887b, 81–83. E. catanensis Drago, 1887 b , 81–83, only species, hence type. Parasitic oligochete [sic]”.

Rodríquez & Smalley (1969: 75, 76) established Epithelphusa for a new species of pseudothelphusid freshwater crab, Epithelphusa mixtepensis , from San Gabriel, Mixtepec, Mexico. The authors remarked that the name Epithelphusa is derived from their observation that the marginal process of the male first gonopod is anterior to but not fused to the mesial lobe.

Stiles & Hassall’s (1905) use of Drago’s (1887) name as a “valid name” after 1899 in the sense of Article 23.9.1.1 of the Code makes it available. The requirements of Article 23.9.1.1 thus cannot be fulfilled, and a reversal of precedence is not possible. As such, we propose Ehecatusa nom. nov. as a replacement name for Epithelphusa Rodríguez & Smalley, 1969 . The name is derived from the Aztec wind god, Ehēcatl, arbitrarily combined with a common genus name for freshwater crabs, Thelphusa, the gender thus being feminine. The type species of the genus remains Epithelphusa mixtepensis Rodríguez & Smalley, 1969 .