LIFE HISTORY OF THE COAL FIELDS CRAYFISH CAMBARUS THEEPIENSIS LOUGHMAN, FOLTZ, GARRISON AND WELSH, 2013 (DECAPODA: ASTACOIDEA: CAMBARIDAE) IN SOUTHWESTERN WEST VIRGINIA, USA

Data of the life history of Cambarus (Puncticambarus) theepiensis Loughman, Foltz, Garrison and Welsh, 2013 was collected monthly from May 2012 through April 2013 from two sites within the Twelvepole Creek watershed in southwestern West Virginia, USA. Mature females showed signs of glair development in early May. Egg extrusion was noted in early June, with first-through third-stage juveniles occurring from July to August, before becoming free-living juveniles in late August and September. Evidence for possible overwintering with young was found as a mature female with free-living juveniles was collected in early April. Mature female total carapace length (TCL) ranged from 29.7-52.4 mm. Support for the hypothesis that form change occurs in female cambarid crayfishes was found in female C. theepiensis. Form I males were collected throughout the year, but reached their highest densities in May through August. Size cohorts, determined through histograms, demonstrate six size cohorts existed between both streams, following appearance of young of the year (YOY) in late summer. Cambarus theepiensis appears to have life history characteristics similar to other Cambarus species, displaying K-selected life history traits.