One new genus and two new species of semiterrestrial freshwater crabs are described from the Southern Western Ghats mountain range in India: Pavizham gavi gen., sp. nov. and Rajathelphusa brunnea sp. nov. The carapace of Pavizham n. gen. is superficially similar to Baratha and Snaha described from the same region, but it can be distinguished from Baratha in having no visible postorbital cristae, complete sutures between male thoracic sternites 2 and 3, the possession of a triangular male pleon and the elongate terminal segment of the male first gonopod; and from Snaha by the presence of a long flagellum on the exopod of the third maxilliped, a complete suture separating male thoracic sternites 2 and 3, and its triangular male pleon. Rajathelphusa brunnea sp. nov. can easily be distinguished from congeners in possessing a distinctly more slender and elongate male first gonopod.
Keywords: Freshwater crab; Indian subcontinent; Kerala; Pavizham; Rajathelphusa; Taxonomy; biodiversity.