The following web pages are based originally on a presentation I gave at a crayfish workshop held at Denison University, November 15, 2008. Fellow researchers and I will eventually add localities. My research associates are Jim Fetzner, Zac Loughman, Guenter Schuster and Roger Thoma.
These crayfishes are burrowers utilizing many different burrowing habitats in the Appalachian Plateau and Mountains. They are known for their brilliant colorations of blues, oranges and reds. This complex of crayfishes is currently recognized as two distinct species, Cambarus dubius and Cambarus monongalensis. The two species can be distinguished from each other by structures of the chelapeds. In Cambarus monogalensis the outer margin of the hand is smooth and the outer ventral margin of the merus has three or less spines whereas in Cambarus dubius the outer margin of the hand is costate and the outer ventral margin of the merus has four or more spines. Cambarus monongalensis is always entirely blue except for the tips of the fingers. Cambarus dubius can be blue but can be many other colors or combination of colors.
Cambarus monongalensis can be found in southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and Highland County Virginia. Cambarus dubius can be found in southwestern Pennsylvania, much of West Virginia, western Virginia, western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee and eastern Kentucky. Though the ranges of both species go right up to the Ohio River in Kentucky and West Virginia, neither species has been found in Ohio.
I have assigned arbitrary names to each color type/taxon of C. dubius. These are not accepted names and are used here only for the purpose of differentiating the different color and or taxon types.
The following distribution maps are based on my collections only (except in one case) and represent county records. Each dot may represent one collection or two or more collections for that county. Each county only gets one dot, no matter how many collections were made there. My collections are represented by black, red or black with red dots. Collections by my research associates may be added in the future and these will be other colors.