*3.2. Molecular Identification*

BLAST results revealed that all sequences analyzed (*n* = 15) were 99–100% similar to those of published sequences from the *Trapezia* genus on GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were built for each gene from the sequences obtained (Figures 3 and 4) within the Trapeziidae family: seven TEP H3 sequences (264 bp) and eight TEP *cox*1 sequences (582 bp). Both ML and BI methods revealed that both molecular markers clustered the species *T. bidentata* and *T. formosa* into the same group; this result was also supported by high posterior probabilities and bootstrapping (Figures 3 and 4). *T. corallina* clustered with *T. tigrina* in a different, sister group. Pairwise genetic distances were zero between *T. bidentata* and *T. formosa*. When comparing *cox*1 sequences from *T. bidentata* and *T. formosa* from the present work with those from *T. bidentata* obtained from GenBank, pairwise genetic distances were 0.001.

**Figure 3.** Consensus tree of the Trapeziidae family obtained using maximum likelihood and Bayesian information (BI) methods based on the H3 nDNA gene. Bootstrap values/posterior probabilities (ML/BI) are indicated under the principal node. Clade A: Quadrelliinae; B: Calocarciniinae; and C: Trapeziinae. *Kempina mikado* (Crustacea: Stomatopoda) was used as the outgroup. \* = Denotes sequences of crabs taxonomically identified as *T. formosa.*

**Figure 4.** Consensus tree of the Trapeziidae family obtained using maximum likelihood and Bayesian information (BI) analyses based on the *cox*1 mtDNA gene. Bootstrap values/posterior probabilities (ML/BI) are indicated under the principal node. Clades A: Trapeziinae; B: Calocarciniinae; and C: Quadrelliinae. *Kempina mikado* (Crustacea: Stomatopoda) was used as the outgroup. \* = Denotes sequences of crabs taxonomically identified as *T. formosa*.
