Epigodromia areolata ( Ihle, 1913 )

Mclay, Colin L. & Ng, Peter K. L., 2005, On a collection of Dromiidae and Dynomenidae from the Philippines, with description of a new species of Hirsutodynomene McLay, 1999 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), Zootaxa 1029 (1), pp. 1-30 : 15-16

Epigodromia areolata ( Ihle, 1913)

Cryptodromia areolata Ihle, 1913: 47 , pl. 2, figs. 10–11.— Campbell 1971: 29.— Serène & Lohavanijaya 1973: 18, figs. 5–7, pl. 2A.— Sakai 1976: 17, pl. 4: fig 2.

Cryptodromia ihlei Balss, 1921: 177 .— Balss 1922: 107, fig. 2.

Epigodromia areolata . — McLay 1993: 217, fig. 19e–f.— McLay 1998: 347.

Material. 2 males, 13.2 x 11.9 mm, 15.1 x 14.0 mm, 200–300 m, 28 Nov 2001, ZRC 2001.521 ; 2 males, 16.9 x 15.0 mm, 16.7 x 15.2 mm, 200–300 m, Jun 2002, ZRC 2002.632 ; 2 males, 15.3 x 13.4 mm, 17.3 x 15.6 mm, 1 ovigerous female, 14.0 x 12.5 mm, 200–300 m, 25–30 Jul 2003, ZRC 2003.671 ; 1 male, 13.5 x 11.7 mm, 200–300 m, Nov 2003, ZRC ; 4 males, 15.2 x 13.3 mm, 16.7 x 14.6 mm, 16.7 x 14.7 mm, 18.4 x 15.9 mm, 1 female, 10.8 x 10.6 mm, 200–300 m, Mar 2004, ZRC ; 5 males, 12.7 x 11.9 mm, 12.8 x 11.5 mm, 14.6 x 12.8 mm, 15.3 x 13.1 mm, 16.8 x 15.4 mm, 200–300 m, 3 Mar 2004, ZRC /NMCR/ MNHN; 1 male, 16.2 x 14.3 mm, 200–300 m, Apr 2004, ZRC ; 1 male, 14.9 x 13.2 mm, 200–300 m, Nov 2003 – Apr 2004, ZRC ; 1 male, 15.8 x 14.7 mm, 200–300 m, 29 May 2004, ZRC . All above locations in Balicasag Island , Panglao, Bohol, Visayas, Philippines; purchased from local shell fishermen, obtained by tangle nets . 1 female, 6.7 x 5.8 mm, station B39, Pontod Lagoon , Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, 9°0.033'N 123°0.042'E, substrate wall reef with small caves, soft coral and dead corals, coll. PANGLAO Expedition 2004, 3 Jul 2004, ZRC ; 1 male, 14.2 x 13.1 mm, station P4, Balicasag Island , Panglao, Bohol, Philippines, 9°0.031'N 123°0.041'E, 60–80m, coll. PANGLAO Expedition 2004, 31 May 2004, ZRC .

Remarks. Epigodromia areolata has a distinctive white, areolate carapace. Males have much larger chelipeds than females. This species is not known to carry pieces of camouflage.

Distribution. Epigodromia areolata was originally described from Timor Island, Indonesia and is common in collections from Japan, South China Sea and New Caledonia, including the Loyalty and Chesterfield Islands. Epigodromia areolata is newly recorded for the Philippines.