NC Physiographic Region(s): lower piedmont plateau and coastal plain

River Basin(s): all coastal plain river basins, and in the lower piedmont plateau sections of the Cape Fear, Neuse, and Tar-Pamlico (including a population on Roanoke Island, across Croatan Sound)

Adult Habitat: “lentic and lotic habitats and burrows” (Hobbs Jr. 1989); “Primary burrower along water courses and in low swampy areas. Often collected from lentic waters or sluggish streams during spring” (Bouchard 1974); “found in ditches ponds and marshes; usually constructs mud chimney above entrance to burrow…” (NHP ICAS 1999)

Juvenile Habitat: in heavy vegetation along banks or in swamps during spring; burrows?

Reproductive Season: winter?

Species associates: many

Conservation status:  not protected

Identification references: Cooper 1998, 1999, Hobbs Jr. 1989, Hobbs Jr. 1991, Jezerinac et al. 1995

Taxonomic Description:

body shape: carapace slightly vaulted
coloration: mottled tan, olive, or brown carapace with darker markings (sometimes with four dark brown longitudinal lines on dorsal abdomen, sometimes with with light yellow stripe on dorsal abdomen and black areola), underside cream
spines: lacking
rostrum: short, blunt, rounded
areola: linear or obliterated
chelae: opposable margin of proximal 1/3 of dactyl with deep, prominent notch; large tubercle at distal end of notch; strong subspiniform tubercles on mesial margin of dactyl; sometimes with setae between fingers
other characteristics: cervical groove interrupted and with tuft of setae; smallish eyes
form I male gonopod: central projection corneous and bent slightly less than 90 degrees from shaft; basal part of mesial process laterally compressed (not inflated or bulbous) and bladelike