thelphusa

[Lat., from Gr. Telphousa = a nymph who gave her name to a town in Arcadia.] Zoology : The type genus of Thelphusidæ (q. v.). Carapace flat, smooth, broad, and heart-shaped; external antenne very short, placed near footstalks of eyes. Thelphusa flu via til is , the best-known species, is from the southeast of Europe. thěl-phu-şi-an, s. [THELPHUSA.) Any individual of the Thelphuside (q.v.). thěl-phu-şi-dæ, s. pl. [Mod. Lat. thelphus (a); Lat. fem. pl. adj. suff. -idœ.] Zool.: A family of Brachyurous Crustacese. Carapace more or le oval; eye footstalks short, fourth joint of jaw feet not inserted into external angle of preceding joint. There are three or four genera, and most of the species are tropical or sub-tropical, and live in the earth near the banks of rivers or in humid forests, bearing a strong analogy to Land crabs.