The taxonomic status of several of the freshwater crab species from Guatemala is somewhat confused due to old and poor descriptions of some taxa, description of several species based on female specimens, synonymization and revalidation of species and subspecies, and new combinations made by different authors. Here, we revised the taxonomy and geographic distribution of the Pseudothelphusidae Ortmann, 1893 freshwater crabs from Guatemala, Central America. Historical material deposited in major collections of several institutions was examined, as well as previously unstudied material from the crustacean collection of the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala in Guatemala City. The pseudothelphusid crab fauna of Guatemala consists of 17 currently valid species assigned to six genera: Elsalvadoria Bott, 1967 (two species), Phrygiopilus Smalley, 1970 (five species), Potamocarcinus H. Milne Edwards, 1853 (two species), Raddaus Pretzmann, 1965 (three species), Typhlopseudothelphusa Rioja, 1953 (two species), and Zilchia Pretzmann, 1968 (three species). Five species described only from female specimens are treated as incertae sedis: they are too poorly defined to be classified reasonably. Two species, one from Phygiopilus and the other from Zilchia, are described as new. Illustrations of the first male gonopod and a keys to the species of all genera are provided, as well as a discussion of their geographic and altitudinal distribution accompanied by maps of the species occurrences.
Zoosystema
47 (26) - Pages 581-615