Faxonius rusticus

Based on Crandall and De Grave (2017), the representatives of Orconectes form at least two distinct groups. The nominal group (the "cave Orconectes") form a monophyletic group that is more closely related to members of Cambarus, while the remaining "Orconectes" are more closely related to Barbicambarus, Creaserinus, and other species of Cambarus (Crandall and Fitzpatrick 1996, Fetzner 1996). As the type species of Orconectes, Orconectes inermis Cope, 1872, belongs to the cave-dwelling group, the genus is herein restricted to just those taxa. The surface-dwelling taxa now excluded from Orconectes sensu stricto are herein placed in the resurrected genus Faxonius Ortmann, 1905a, the oldest available name previously considered to be a synonym of Orconectes Cope, 1872.

The native range was described by Taylor (2000) to include the lower middle Ohio River drainage of central Kentucky, western Ohio, an deastern and central Indiana and the western Lake Erie drainage in southeastern Michigan and northwestern Ohio. It has been introduced (mostly as fishing bait) across the United States with large populations in Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin (Taylor and Schuster, 2004). This species of crayfish is highly invasive and consistently outcompetes other species outside of its native range. It has a generalist nature, an ability dominate and out compete other crayfish species and an expanding range.

The native range was described by Taylor (2000) to include the lower middle Ohio River drainage of central Kentucky, western Ohio, and eastern and central Indiana and the western Lake Erie drainage in southeastern Michigan and northwestern Ohio. It has been introduced (mostly as fishing bait) across the United States with large populations in Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin (Taylor and Schuster, 2004; Lodge et al., 2000).

Recently, zebra mussels were found in areas occupied by this species on the Rideau River in eastern Ontario (Schueler and Karstad, 2007). This species was recently confirmed as an exotic in a single locality in Manitoba (William Watkins, MB CDC, pers. comm., January 2008). It also occurs in the northern portion Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada (Jansen et al., 2009). Wisconsin distribution is summarized by Puth and Allen (2004). In Indiana it should be considered native to the Whitewater River watershed (Whitewater, Greater Miami, and Maumee River drainages) and non-indigenous outside that watershed (Simon, 2001; Simon et al., 2005). In Ohio, it was initially confined to the limestone bedrock areas of the Great Miami and Scioto River basins but has invaded the entire central and western half of the state as well as the Lake Erie basin and spotty occurrences in teh eastern part of the state (Thoma and Jezerinac, 2000). In the Cumberland Plateau it occurs in tributaries of Norris Lake, Campbell Co., Tennessee, and western edge of Cumberlands in Rockcastle (Cumberland) and Kentucky River systems, Kentucky. (Bouchard, 1974). In Kentucky, it is native, widespread, and common in the lower Licking, Salt, and middle and upper Green River drainages; and also occurs at a few sites in the middle Kentucky and middle Ohio River drainages with a single upper Little Laural River (Cumberland River drainage) site in Laurel Co. (introduced) (Taylor and Schuster, 2004). It is introduced in North Carolina in 3 sites on the Broad River in Rutherford Co. and Sawmill Creek in the Little Tennessee River basin, Swain Co. (Cooper and Armstrong, 2007). It has successfully invaded the entire state of Wisconsin and constitutes a significant component of the crayfish fauna (Olden et al., 2006). It has invaded Maryland from neighboring Pennsylvania into the Monocacy River (Knauer, 2007) and has displaced native Orconectes limosus and Orconectres obscurus, as well as the other non-native Orconectes virilis from the upper Monocacy River system (Kilian et al., 2010). It is a recently introduced species in southern New England and is spreading throughout the Connecticut River system (Smith, 2000). In 2005, an introduced population was found in the upper mainstem John Day River in Oregon in abundance as well as South Fork John Day River near the confluence, Beech Creek, and downstream of Dayville (Olden et al., 2009).

There are no major threats.