Ponmudiana pollicaris ( Alcock, 1909 ) Z, 2025

Ponmudiana pollicaris ( Alcock, 1909) comb. nov.

[Alcock’s Ponmudi crab]

( Figs. 4E–H View FIGURE 4 , 5D–F View FIGURE 5 , 6 View FIGURE 6 )

Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris Alcock, 1909: 377 View in CoL . Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris View in CoL – Alcock 1910: 89, pl. 6 fig. 22. Travancoriana pollicaris View in CoL – Bahir & Yeo 2007: 318, figs. 9, 10.— Pati & Sharma 2013: 281 (list, in key).— Rajesh et al. 2017: 145,

fig. 25.—Pati 2020: 162 (list).— Pati & Pradhan 2020: 555836 (list).— Pati & Yeo 2022: 3 (list).— Sruthi & Thirunavukkarasu

2022: 460 (list).

Type material. Lectotype: male ( CW 52.1 mm, CL 38.1 mm) ( ZSIK 1779–87 /10), south India, “presented by Travancore Museum”, collector and collection date unknown.

Other material examined. India – Kerala State : 3 males ( CW 43.1–47.1 mm, CL 32.1–36.2 mm, CH 18.3–20.6 mm, FW 10.5–11.5 mm) , 2 females ( CW 42.8 –45.0 mm, CL 33.3–33.8 mm, CH 19.3–20.0 mm, FW 10.6–10.9 mm) ( ZSI-WRC C.1185), Thiruvananthapuram District, Ponmudi , 8.76556° N, 77.10972° E, elev. 945 m a.s.l., coll. V. U. Sheeja, 11 August 2014 GoogleMaps ; male ( CW 17.7 mm, CL 14.1 mm, CH 7.3 mm, FW 5.2 mm) ( ZSI-WRC C.1883), Thiruvananthapuram District, Seethakundu, near Ponmudi , 8.772° N, 77.108° E, elev. 1032 m a.s.l., coll. Md. Jafer Palot et al., 18 January 2019 GoogleMaps ; 3 males ( CW 19.4–28.2 mm, CL 14.8–21.8 mm, CH 8.3–11.9 mm, FW 5.5–7.9 mm) ( ZSI-WRC C.1878), Kollam District, Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary, Pondimotta , 8.828° N, 77.217° E, elev. 1235 m a.s.l., coll. Md. Jafer Palot et al., 23 January 2019 GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis. Large sized crabs (maximum CW 52.1 mm). Carapace transversely broad (CW/CL = ca. 1.3–1.4) ( Figs. 4E, F View FIGURE 4 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ); epigastric cristae in line with postorbital cristae ( Figs. 4E, F View FIGURE 4 , 6A View FIGURE 6 ); male s2/s3 visible as broad groove, not reaching edge of sternum ( Figs. 4H View FIGURE 4 , 6C View FIGURE 6 ); male telson relatively narrow, medial length ca. 1.3 times proximal width, with almost straight lateral margins ( Figs. 4H View FIGURE 4 , 6C, E View FIGURE 6 ); G1 ultimate article subcylindrical, short, ca. 0.4 times length of penultimate article, with conspicuously bent tip ( Figs. 5D, E View FIGURE 5 , 6F, G View FIGURE 6 ); G2 ultimate article long, ca. 0.5 times length of penultimate article ( Figs. 5F View FIGURE 5 , 6H View FIGURE 6 ); vulvae subovate, large, occupying ca. 0.5 times length of s6, located some distance from s5/s6 ( Fig. 6I View FIGURE 6 ).

Remarks. Ponmudiana pollicaris comb. nov. was described by Alcock (1909) as Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris from south India, probably from “Travancore” as it was presented by the Travancore Museum. Roux (1931) reported the species, with the same name, from the Anamalai Hills. Bott (1970a, 1970b) included the species in Travancoriana , with Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris convexa Roux, 1931 , as a junior synonym. Bott (1970a, 1970b), however, did not examine the actual species as his figures ( Bott 1970b: pl. 4 figs. 42–44, pl. 26 fig. 21) were that of the Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris convexa , which Bahir & Yeo (2007) regarded as Travancoriana convexa . In addition to the figures of Bott (1970b), the geographical origins (“Anaimalais” or “Palnis”) of the species, reported by Roux (1931) as Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris and by Bott (1970a, 1970b) and Klaus et al. (2014) as Travancoriana pollicaris , suggest that they were conspecific belonging to Travancoriana convexa . In this study, T. convexa is assigned to its own genus Palaniana gen. nov. (see remarks for Travancoriana ). The assumption of Alcock (1909), that Po. pollicaris comb. nov. was supposed to be originated from “Travancore” [mostly covering southern Kerala of the present-day], is justified here with recent collections from Bonacaud and Ponmudi of the Thiruvananthapuram district, and the adjoining Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary of the Kollam district ( Rajesh et al. 2017; present study). The identity of T. pollicaris , reported in Srivastava (2007) from the Bannerghatta National Park of Karnataka and in Pati et al. (2014) from the Aralam and Parambikulam wildlife sanctuaries of northern/central Kerala, is uncertain as the species is unlikely to occur beyond southern Kerala.

Ponmudiana pollicaris comb. nov. is differentiated from its lone congener, Ponmudiana charu comb. nov., mainly by the shapes of the male telson and G1 ultimate article (see remarks for the latter species).

Ecological notes. Ponmudiana pollicaris comb. nov. was reported by Rajesh et al. (2017) to be found under a boulder of a small stream. The present specimens were collected from elevations of 945–1235 m a.s.l.

Geographical distribution. Ponmudiana pollicaris comb. nov. is precisely known from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala in Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts ( Rajesh et al. 2017; present study) ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).

Key to the species of Ponmudiana gen. nov.

1. Male telson with concave lateral margins ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ); G1 ultimate article conical, with straight tip ( Fig. 5A, B View FIGURE 5 )....................................................................... Ponmudiana charu ( Bahir & Yeo, 2007) comb. nov. [Kerala (Thiruvananthapuram district) and Tamil Nadu (Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts); southern Western Ghats only]

– Male telson with almost straight lateral margins ( Figs. 4H View FIGURE 4 , 6C, E View FIGURE 6 ); G1 ultimate article subcylindrical, with conspicuously bent tip ( Figs. 5D, E View FIGURE 5 , 6F, G View FIGURE 6 )........................................ Ponmudiana pollicaris ( Alcock, 1909) comb. nov. [Kerala (Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts); southern Western Ghats only]

Genus Palaniana gen. nov.

( Figs. 7–9 View FIGURE 7 View FIGURE 8 View FIGURE 9 )

Type species. Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris convexa Roux, 1931 View in CoL , by present designation; gender of genus feminine.

Diagnosis. Large sized crabs (maximum CW 54.6 mm). Carapace relatively broad (CW/CL = ca. 1.2–1.4), relatively low ( CH /CW = ca. 0.4), with moderately convex lateral margins; frontal medial triangle incomplete, lateral margins indiscernible; postorbital cristae well-developed, reaching lateral margins of carapace; external orbital angle broadly triangular, with long outer margin, ca. 4 times length of inner margin; epibranchial tooth low, located at same level of postorbital cristae; epistome posterior margin with well-developed, triangular medial tooth and sinuous lateral lobes ( Figs. 7A, B View FIGURE 7 , 9A, B View FIGURE 9 ). Maxilliped 3 with well-developed flagellum on exopod ( Fig. 9D View FIGURE 9 ). Chelipeds relatively stouter in adult males ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 9A, C View FIGURE 9 ). Ambulatory legs relatively stout, shorter, glabrous ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 9A, C View FIGURE 9 ). Male s2/s3 distinct as narrow groove, reaching edge of sternum; male s3/s4 distinct as shallow, complete groove, reaching edge of sternum ( Figs. 7C View FIGURE 7 , 9C View FIGURE 9 ). Male sternopleonal cavity relatively short, reaching to imaginary line joining anterior part of cheliped coxae ( Figs. 7C View FIGURE 7 , 9C View FIGURE 9 ). Male pleon relatively broad, with almost straight lateral margins; pleonal somite 6 trapezoidal, relatively broad, proximal width ca. 1.5 times medial length ( Figs. 7C View FIGURE 7 , 9C, E View FIGURE 9 ). G1 relatively stout; ultimate article conical, relatively stout, relatively long, ca. 0.5–0.6 times length of penultimate article; penultimate article stout ( Figs. 8A, B View FIGURE 8 , 9F, G View FIGURE 9 ). G2 slightly longer than G1, ca. 1.1 times G1 length; ultimate article long, ca. 0.6 times length of penultimate article ( Figs. 8C View FIGURE 8 , 9H View FIGURE 9 ). Vulvae relatively widely located from each other (VD/SW = ca. 0.2) ( Fig. 9I View FIGURE 9 ).

Etymology. The genus name is derived from the Palani Hills of the southern Western Ghats of India, which is the type locality of the type species. The gender of this genus is feminine.

Remarks. Palaniana gen. nov. is recognised here for a subspecies described by Roux (1931), i.e., Paratelphusa (Barytelphusa) pollicaris convexa , which was synonymised by Bott (1970a, 1970b) with T. pollicaris but reinstated by Bahir & Yeo (2007) as a distinct species, viz., T. convexa (also see remarks for Po. pollicaris comb. nov.).

Palaniana gen. nov., with its only species Palaniana convexa ( Roux, 1931) comb. nov., cannot be confused among the gecarcinucid genera of southern India because of the following suite of morphological features: the relatively low carapace ( CH /CW = ca. 0.4) ( Figs. 7B View FIGURE 7 , 9B View FIGURE 9 ); the well-developed postorbital cristae reaching the lateral margins of the carapace ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 9A View FIGURE 9 ); the broadly triangular external orbital angle, with a long outer margin, ca. 4 times the length of the inner margin ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 9A View FIGURE 9 ); the low epibranchial tooth located at the same level of the postorbital cristae ( Figs. 7A View FIGURE 7 , 9A View FIGURE 9 ); the well-developed flagellum on the maxilliped 3 exopod ( Fig. 9D View FIGURE 9 ); the complete groove of the male s3/s4 reaching the edge of the sternum ( Figs. 7C View FIGURE 7 , 9C View FIGURE 9 ); the broad male pleon, with almost straight lateral margins and the trapezoidal pleonal somite 6 ( Figs. 7C View FIGURE 7 , 9C, E View FIGURE 9 ); the relatively stout G1 with the stout and long ultimate article, ca. 0.5–0.6 times the length of the penultimate article ( Figs. 8A, B View FIGURE 8 , 9F, G View FIGURE 9 ); the slightly longer G2 as compared to the G1 ( Figs. 8 View FIGURE 8 , 9F–H View FIGURE 9 ); and the relatively widely located vulvae (VD/SW = ca. 0.2) ( Fig. 9I View FIGURE 9 ).

Geographical distribution. Palaniana gen. nov. is currently known from the southern Western Ghats of Kerala (Idukki, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, and Thrissur districts) and Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore, Dindigul, and Theni districts), which are all contiguous areas of southern India ( Roux 1931; Bott 1970a, 1970b; Bahir & Yeo 2007; Pati et al. 2014; Rajesh et al. 2017; present study) ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ).