 Another closely related species, "Gecarcinus ruricola", occurs together with "G. lateralis" in the tropical western Atlantic, but its carapace is typically almost entirely blackish, dark maroon, purplish or yellowish.As suggested by the name blackback land crab, it has a large blackish spot, which, although the exact shape is variable, covers a large part of the central carapace ("back").The legs, claws and outer sections of the carapace are reddish, orange or whitish.