Lepidothelphusa flavochela Grinang & Ng 2015, new species
Creators: name: Grinang, Jongkar
name: Ng, Peter K. L.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Malacostraca
Decapoda
Gecarcinucidae
Lepidothelphusa
Lepidothelphusa flavochela

description: 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.
description: Published as part of 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, pp. 564-582 in Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 63 on page 568, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5386711