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Vela bandhavya sp. nov., a new species of gecarcinucid crab is described from the Central Western Ghats, Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka state, India. The new species can be immediately distinguished from three other species of Vela Bahir & Yeo, 2007, mainly by its short male sternopleonal cavity and a relatively shorter distal article of the male first gonopod. The diagnosis of Vela is revised to accommodate the new species, and an illustrated identification key is provided for all four species. An anomalous adult male crab, with a pair of pleopods on the pleonal somite 5 in addition to the male gonopods, is also reported.

A new genus and new species of gecarcinucid freshwater crab, Aradhya placida gen. et sp. nov., is recognized from the northern part of the Central Western Ghats of India. The new genus is diagnosed, and the new species from the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, is described herein. The new genus most resembles Arcithelphusa Pati & Sudha Devi, 2015, Cylindrotelphusa Alcock, 1909, Rajathelphusa Raj, Kumar & Ng, 2021, and Pavizham Raj, Kumar & Ng, 2022, in having an ovate, relatively narrow and deep carapace, with the front narrow as compared to other Indian gecarcinucid genera. Aradhya gen. nov. is nevertheless separated from those genera by the characters in the carapace, epigastric and postorbital cristae, external orbital angle, cervical grooves, third maxilliped, chelipeds, male thoracic sternites/sternopleonal cavity/pleon, male second gonopod, and especially by the elongated male telson and the stouter ultimate article of the male first gonopod.