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Onychophora, commonly known as velvet worms or more ambiguously as peripatus, is a phylum of elongate, soft-bodied, many-legged panarthropods. In appearance they have variously been compared to worms with legs, caterpillars, and slugs. They prey upon other invertebrates, which they catch by ejecting an adhesive slime. Approximately 200 species of velvet worms have been described, although the true number of species is likely greater. The two extant families of velvet worms are Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae. They show a peculiar distribution, with the peripatids being predominantly equatorial and tropical, while the peripatopsids are all found south of the equator. It is the only phylum within Animalia that is wholly endemic to terrestrial environments, at least among extant members. Velvet worms are generally considered close relatives of the Arthropoda and Tardigrada, with which they form the proposed taxon Panarthropoda. This makes them of palaeontological interest, as they can help reconstruct the ancestral arthropod. In modern zoology they are particularly renowned for their curious mating behaviours and the bearing of live young in some species.
The pink velvet worm is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. It is known only from Weza Forest, a Mistbelt Forest in South Africa. Opisthopatus roseus has been found on the forest floor amongst leaf litter, beneath, and within fallen logs.
Opisthopatus is a genus of South African velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae. They give birth to live young.
Peripatopsidae is one of the two living velvet worm families.
Occiperipatoides is a monospecific genus of velvet worm containing the single species Occiperipatoides gilesii. This genus is ovoviviparous and found in Western Australia. The genus is part of the ancient phylum Onychophora that contains soft-bodied, many-legged relatives of arthropods known commonly as velvet worms.
Cephalofovea is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. All species in this genus are ovoviviparous and have 15 pairs of oncopods (legs), and both sexes possess a pitted-head which the male everts and uses to pass his spermatophore to the female. They are found in New South Wales, Australia.
Ooperipatellus is a genus of Australian and New Zealand velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. Species in this genus are oviparous. Velvet worms in this genus are among the smallest known, with adults often only 10 to 20 millimeters long. Morphological and molecular data indicate that this genus is a monophyletic group.
Florelliceps is a monospecific genus of ovoviviparous velvet worm containing the single species Florelliceps stutchburyae. This species is brown with 15 pairs of oncopods (legs). During mating, the male of this species uses a structure on his head to place a spermataphore on the gonopore of the female. The type locality is Mount Warning, New South Wales, Australia.
Metaperipatus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae that includes the species Metaperipatus inae. Males of this species have 20 pairs of legs; females have 22 pairs. This species is a dark grayish blue in color, with large orange/red spots. The type locality is in central Chile.
Euperipatoides rowelli is an ovoviviparous species of velvet worm of the Peripatopsidae family. It is found in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
Opisthopatus cinctipes is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 16 pairs of legs, all with claws and all used for walking. The type locality is in South Africa.
Cephalofovea cameroni is a species of ovoviviparous velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species has 15 pairs of oncopods (legs) and lives in rotting logs and leaf litter. The type locality is Rydal, New South Wales, Australia. Like all members of the genus Cephalofovea, both sexes of C. cameroni have a furrow on the head, between the antennae, which the male everts to carry his spermatophore to the female.
Cephalofovea clandestina is a species of ovoviviparous velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species has 15 pairs of oncopods (legs) and lives in rotting logs and leaf litter. The type locality is Kanangra-Boyd National Park, New South Wales, Australia. Like all members of the genus Cephalofovea, both sexes of C. clandestina have a furrow on the head, between the antennae, which the male everts to carry his spermatophore to the female.
Cephalofovea tomahmontis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species is ovoviviparous, has 15 pairs of oncopods (legs), and lives in rotting logs and leaf litter. The type locality is Mount Tomah, New South Wales, Australia, after which this species is named. Like all members of the genus Cephalofovea, both sexes of C. tomahmontis have a furrow on the head, between the antennae, which the male everts to carry his spermatophore to the female.
Kumbadjena occidentalis is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae described by Joseph James Fletcher in 1895. This species has 15 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Western Australia.
Paraperipatus papuensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Males in this species have 21 to 27 pairs of legs; females have 21 to 29 leg pairs. The maximum number of leg pairs recorded in this species (29) is also the maximum number of leg pairs found in the family Peripatopsidae. The type locality is in Western New Guinea, Indonesia.
Paraperipatus lorentzi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. The male of this species has 21 pairs of legs; females have 22 or 23 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Western New Guinea, Indonesia.
Peripatopsis capensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 18 pairs of legs: 17 pregenital leg pairs with claws plus one last pair that is strongly reduced and without claws or spinous pads. The native range of this species is limited to the Cape Peninsula of South Africa.
Peripatopsis moseleyi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Females of this species have 19 to 23 pairs of legs with claws ; males have 20 to 24 pairs of legs with claws. The type locality is in South Africa.
Peripatopsis stelliporata is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 17 to 19 pairs of legs, usually 18, with the last leg pair reduced more in males than in females. The type locality is in South Africa.
References
- 1 2 3 Reid, A.L.; Tait, N.N.; Briscoe, D.A.; Rowell, D.M. (1995-05-01). "Morphological, cytogenetic and allozymic variation within Cephalofovea (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae) with descriptions of three new species". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 114 (1): 115–138. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1995.tb00116.x. ISSN 0024-4082.
- ↑ Oliveira, I. S.; Read, V. M. S. J.; Mayer, G. (2012). "A world checklist of Onychophora (velvet worms), with notes on nomenclature and status of names". ZooKeys (211): 1–70. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.211.3463 . PMC 3426840 . PMID 22930648.
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