Lepidothelphusa limau, 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 : 568-572

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5386711
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BAA493D3-8195-417B-ABD8-A36D3FD90533
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/8DAA937F-5F48-441B-A6CF-2FC426B679B4
taxon LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:act:8DAA937F-5F48-441B-A6CF-2FC426B679B4
treatment provided by	Valdenar
scientific name	Lepidothelphusa limau
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Lepidothelphusa limau View in CoL , new species

( Figs. 5A–I View Fig , 6A–E View Fig , 13E, F View Fig )

Parathelpusa (Lepidothelphusa) cognettii – Colosi, 1920: 24 (part). (not Potamon (Geotelphusa) cognettii Nobili, 1903 )

Lepidothelphusa cognettii View in CoL – Bott, 1970: 55 (part), pl. 7 figs. 69–72, pl. 27 fig. 31; Ng & Grinang, 2004: 309 (part); Ng et al., 2008: 67 (part), 68, fig. 55; Klaus et al., 2009: 513, 521. (not Potamon (Geotelphusa) cognettii Nobili, 1903 )

Lepidothelphusa cognetti – Ng, 2004: 319 (part); Ng & Yeo, 2007: 108 (part); Ng et al., 2008: 67; Cumberlidge et al., 2009: appendix 1 (part). (not Potamon (Geotelphusa) cognettii Nobili, 1903 )

Material examined. Holotype: male (12.1 × 10.8 mm) ( ZRC 2015.0605 View Materials ), forested area behind village, 189 m above sea level, Kampung Peros , Krokong , Bau, Sarawak, coll. PKL Ng et al., 14 September 2013 . Paratypes: 28 males (largest 11.6 × 10.4 mm), 1 ovigerous female, 12 females (largest 11.5 × 9.8 mm), 3 juveniles ( ZRC 2015.0606 View Materials ), data as holotype ; 4 males (largest 11.5 × 9.7 mm) (SBC.C.00402–05), data as holotype ; 1 male (10.0 × 9.0 mm) (SBC.C.00406), Kampung Peros, Krokong, Bau, Sarawak, coll. J Grinang & M Dingol, 10 June 2012 ; 1 female (12.5 × 10.2 mm) ( ZRC 1985.4414 View Materials – 4415 View Materials ), Bidi Caves, Sarawak, coll. CJ Brooks, June 1903 .

Diagnosis. Carapace relatively quadrate, surface relatively flat, smooth, anterolateral margins smooth; antero- and posterolateral regions slightly rugose; epibranchial tooth undiscernible; external orbital tooth with outer margin concave, smooth; serrated projection on frontal region distinct; epigastric and postorbital cristae distinct, margins serrated; cervical and H-grooves relatively deep, not confluent ( Fig. 5A, B, D View Fig ); ischium of third maxilliped rhomboidal, much longer than broad, sulcus undiscernible ( Fig. 5F View Fig ); inner margin of merus of chelipeds with large, prominently expanded serrated projection ( Fig. 5G View Fig ); carpus of chelipeds smooth, inner angle with broadly triangular tooth ( Fig. 5A View Fig ); fingers of adult major male chela narrowly gaping ( Fig. 5H, I View Fig ); ambulatory legs relatively long, merus of fourth ambulatory legs subequal to length of carapace ( Fig. 5A, E View Fig ); male abdomen triangular, somite 6 wider than long, subequal to length of telson ( Fig. 5C View Fig ); G1 stout, straight; terminal segment almost straight in dorsal view, slightly curved outwards in ventral view ( Fig. 6A, B, D, E View Fig ); G2 with relatively long distal segment, about half length of basal segment ( Fig. 6C View Fig ).

Colour. In life, males are yellowish-orange carapace with light blue on posterior regions, yellowish-white chelipeds and cream-white ambulatory legs. Females are dark brown overall ( Fig. 13C, D View Fig ).

Etymology. The name is derived from the Iban word “limau” for a plant species popularly called calamansi, Citrofortunella microcarpa ( Bunge, 1833) , alluding to the yellowish carapace that similar to a ripe fruit of the plant species. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Remarks. Lepidothelphusa limau , new species, can be easily distinguished from L. cognettii s. str. and L. padawan , new species, in having relatively less strongly developed major male cheliped ( Fig. 5A, H, I View Fig versus Figs. 1A, H, I View Fig , 9A, H, I View Fig ). It differs from L. flavochela , new species, and L. sangon , new species, in having a less square and rugose carapace than the latter ( Fig. 5A, B View Fig versus Figs. 3A, B View Fig , 11A, B View Fig ). It differs from L. loi , new species, in having a less square carapace and relatively longer ambulatory legs than the latter ( Fig. 5A, B, E View Fig versus Fig. 7A, B, E View Fig ). The third maxilliped ischium of L. limau is relatively longer and less rhomboidal compared to the other five species ( Fig. 5F View Fig versus Figs. 1F View Fig , 3F View Fig , 7F View Fig , 9F View Fig , 11F View Fig ). The G1 of L. limau is stout ( Fig. 6A, B, D, E View Fig ) versus more slender in L. cognettii s. str. ( Fig. 2A, B, D, E View Fig ) and L. padawan ( Fig. 10A, B, D, E View Fig ); the tip of the terminal segment of G1 of L. limau is more pointed ( Fig. 6B, E View Fig ) but is relatively blunt in L. flavochela ( Fig. 4B, E View Fig ), L. loi ( Fig. 8B, E View Fig ) and L. sangon ( Fig. 12B, E View Fig ).

As discussed under L. flavochela , the colour of the carapace, chela and legs of L. limau are most similar to that species, but they differ in the structure of the carapace and G1s.

Ng et al. (2008: 68, fig. 55) discussed and figured a specimen from Bau which they argued was different from L. cognettii s. str. The specimen in their photograph (not collected) was from somewhere in Krokong (which is in the district of Bau and near Bidi), and all the present material from this area belongs to L. limau . The older material collected by C. J. Brooks from “Bidi” agrees very well with the types of L. limau .

Habitat. The habitat is relatively flat primary dipterocarp forest and is less than 200 m above sea level. The substrate is moist and consists of sandstone, moist sand with leaf litter.