Ponmudiana charu ( Bahir & Yeo, 2007 ) Z, 2025

Ponmudiana charu ( Bahir & Yeo, 2007) comb. nov.

[Beautiful Ponmudi crab]

( Figs. 4A–D View FIGURE 4 , 5A–C View FIGURE 5 )

Travancoriana charu Bahir & Yeo, 2007: 324 View in CoL , figs. 16, 17.

Travancoriana charu View in CoL – Pati & Sharma 2013: 281 (list, in key).— Klaus et al. 2014: table S1 (list).— Rajesh et al. 2017: 144, fig. 21.—Pati 2020: 162 (list).— Pati & Pradhan 2020: 555836 (list).

Type material examined. Holotype: male ( CW 40.4 mm, CL 30.7 mm) ( ZRC 2003.0241 View Materials ), India, Kerala State, Thiruvananthapuram District, Ponmudi , 8.73861° N, 77.11936° E, elev. 339 m a.s.l., collector and collection date unknown. GoogleMaps

Other material examined. India– Tamil Nadu State: female ( CW 28.7 mm, CL 21.7 mm, CH 11.2 mm, FW 8.0 mm) ( ZSI-WRC C.2164), Kanyakumari District , Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve , Upper Kodayar Range, Muthukulivayal, 8.493° N, 77.380° E, elev. 1324 m a.s.l., coll. R. Babu et al., 23 August 2019; 2 males ( CW 21.1 –26.0 mm, CL 16.2–19.1 mm, CH 8.3–10.2 mm, FW 6.1 –7.0 mm) GoogleMaps , female ( CW 16.5 mm, CL 12.0 mm, CH 6.3 mm, FW 4.9 mm) ( ZSI-WRC C.2165), Kanyakumari District , Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve , Upper Kodayar Range, Kanthapanai Odai, 8.538° N, 77.349° E, elev. 1292 m a.s.l., coll. R. Babu et al., 24 August 2019 GoogleMaps ; female ( CW 16.5 mm, CL 13.3 mm, CH 6.6 mm, FW 5.1 mm) ( ZSI-WRC C.2321), Tirunelveli District , Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve , Ambasamudram Range, near Marapalam, 8.547° N, 77.375° E, elev. 1276 m a.s.l., coll. R. Babu et al., 25 August 2019 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Large sized crabs (maximum CW 40.4 mm). Carapace transversely broad (CW/CL = ca. 1.2–1.4) ( Fig. 4A, B View FIGURE 4 ); epigastric cristae slightly anterior to postorbital cristae ( Fig. 4A, B View FIGURE 4 ); male s2/s3 visible as narrow, shallow groove, not reaching edge of sternum ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ); male telson relatively broad, medial length ca. 1.1 times proximal width, with concave lateral margins ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ); G1 ultimate article conical, short, ca. 0.3–0.4 times length of penultimate article, with straight tip ( Fig. 5A, B View FIGURE 5 ); G2 ultimate article long, ca. 0.5–0.6 times length of penultimate article ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ).

Remarks. Ponmudiana charu comb. nov. can be distinguished from the only known congener, Po. pollicaris comb. nov., by the concave lateral margins of the male telson ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ) (versus male telson with almost straight lateral margins; Figs. 4H View FIGURE 4 , 6C, E View FIGURE 6 ) and the conical G1 ultimate article with a straight tip ( Fig. 5A, B View FIGURE 5 ) (versus G1 ultimate article subcylindrical with a conspicuously bent tip; Figs. 5D, E View FIGURE 5 , 6F, G View FIGURE 6 ).

Ecological notes. Ponmudiana charu comb. nov. is known to dwell under boulders of streamlets in well shaded areas ( Bahir & Yeo 2007).

Geographical distribution. Ponmudiana charu comb. nov. is an endemic species of the southern Western Ghats in southern India and is known only from Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram district) and Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts) ( Bahir & Yeo 2007; Rajesh et al. 2017; present study) ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).