Lepidothelphusa flavochela, Grinang & Ng, 2015

Grinang, Jongkar & Ng, Peter K. L., 2015, Taxonomy of the semiterrestrial crab Lepidothelphusa cognettii (Nobili, 1903) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae), with descriptions of five new species from Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63, pp. 564-582 : 568

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5386711
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BAA493D3-8195-417B-ABD8-A36D3FD90533
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5467450
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/2B94C97A-7093-4DB8-983C-13765B6923D8
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:2B94C97A-7093-4DB8-983C-13765B6923D8
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Lepidothelphusa flavochela
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lepidothelphusa flavochela View in CoL , new species

( Figs. 3A–I View Fig , 4A–E View Fig , 13C, D View Fig )

Material examined. Holotype: male (8.1 × 7.2 mm) ( ZRC 2015.0604 View Materials ), 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 View Fig ); ischium of third maxilliped rhomboidal, much longer than broad, sulcus undiscernible ( Fig. 3F View Fig ); inner margin of merus of chelipeds with relatively lower serrated projection ( Fig. 3I View Fig ); carpus of chelipeds smooth, inner angle with broad, low triangular tooth ( Fig. 3A View Fig ); fingers of adult major male chela gaping ( Fig. 3G, H View Fig ); ambulatory legs relatively long, merus of fourth ambulatory legs subequal to length of carapace ( Fig. 3A, E View Fig ); male abdomen triangular, somite 6 width and length subequal, subequal to length of telson ( Fig. 3C View Fig ); 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 View Fig ); G2 with relatively long distal segment, about half length of basal segment ( Fig. 4C View Fig ).

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 View Fig ).

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 View Fig versus Figs. 1B, D View Fig , 5B, D View Fig , 7B, D View Fig , 9B, D View Fig , 11B, D View Fig ). 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 View Fig ) while in L. limau , the fingers are white ( Fig. 13E View Fig ). The yellow chela of L. flavochela ( Fig. 13C, D View Fig ) 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 View Fig ). The G1s of these species are quite different. The terminal segment of the G1 of L. flavochela ( Fig. 4A, B, D, E View Fig ) is proportionately longer than that of L. limau ( Fig. 6A, B, D, E View Fig ) and L. loi ( Fig. 8A, B, D, E View Fig ), 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 View Fig ).