Culterthelphusa, Pedraza, 2017

Pedraza, Manuel, 2017, Taxonomy of the freshwater crab genus Neopseudothelphusa Pretzmann, 1965 (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pseudothelphusidae), with the description of a new genus, Nauplius (e 2017009) 25, pp. 1-7 : 4

Genus Culterthelphusa n. gen.

Diagnosis. G1 with marginal process large; apex sharp, slightly curved laterally. Mesial process simple, straight, cultriform, about twice as large as the apical plate. Apical plate wide, subquadrate, apex slightly bent to sternal side; distal and proximal lobes totally fused to apical plate.

Type species. Culterthelphusa simoni ( Rathbun,

1905), n. comb., by monotypy and present designation.

Distribution. Venezuela: Aragua, Distrito Capital,

Guárico, Miranda.

Etymology. The name Culterthelphusa is formed by the combination of the Latin word “cultratus”, meaning knife, in reference to the shape of the mesial process of the first gonopod, which is unique in the tribe, with the suffix “thelphusa” for freshwater crab. The gender is feminine.

Remarks. Culterthelphusa n. gen. is established to accommodate C. simoni n. comb., formerly included in Neopseudothelphusa . Likewise, Culterthelphusa n. gen. is assigned to the tribe Kingsleyini as it shows the following diagnostic characters of the tribe: G1 with an apical plate projected beyond the opening of the spermatic channel; and G1 with basis widened along the sterno-abdominal axis. Culterthelphusa simoni n. comb. is unique in Kingsleyini in having the G1 with a simple mesial process, about three times longer than wide, cultriform in shape ( Fig. 2A, C ), and having the marginal process large, subtriangular and prolonged beyond the opening of spermatic channel ( Fig. 2A, B ).

Figures

Figure 2. Culterthelphusa simoni (Rathbun, 1905) n. comb.(MZUSP 6388), left first gonopod.A, abdominal view; B, lateralview; C, sternal view.Abbreviations: ap, apical plate; cdl, crest of distal lobe; fas, field of apical spines; map, marginal process; mp, mesial process; ms, marginal suture; sc, opening of spermatic channel; sg, subapical groove. Scale bar = 1mm.