Lobopodians are members of the informal group Lobopodia, or the formally erected phylum Lobopoda Cavalier-Smith (1998). They are panarthropods with stubby legs called lobopods, a term which may also be used as a common name of this group as well. While the definition of lobopodians may differ between literatures, it usually refers to a group of soft-bodied, marine worm-like fossil panarthropods such as Aysheaia and Hallucigenia. However, other genera like Kerygmachela and Pambdelurion are often referred to as “gilled lobopodians”.
Onychophora, commonly known as velvet worms or more ambiguously as peripatus, is a phylum of elongate, soft-bodied, many-legged animals. 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 to be much greater than that.
Panarthropoda is a proposed animal clade containing the extant phyla Arthropoda, Tardigrada and Onychophora. Panarthropods also include extinct marine legged worms known as lobopodians ("Lobopodia"), a paraphyletic group where the last common ancestor and basal members (stem-group) of each extant panarthropod phylum are thought to have risen. However the term "Lobopodia" is sometimes expanded to include tardigrades and onychophorans as well.
Peripatopsidae is one of the two living velvet worm families. This family includes more than 140 described species distributed among 41 genera, but some authorities deem only 131 of these species to be valid. The French zoologist Eugène Louis Bouvier proposed this family in 1905 with Peripatopsis as the type genus.
Planipapillus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae, whose species are found in eastern Victoria and southeastern New South Wales, Australia. They are unique in that the males of this genus may bear patches of reduced papillae on the head, posterior to the eyes; the generic name refers to this fact, and likewise they have been vernacularly referred to as lawn-headed onychophorans. All species in this genus are oviparous and have 15 pairs of legs.
Euperipatoides is a genus of ovoviviparous velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae. All species in this genus have 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. All species are found in New South Wales, Australia. E. rowelli is also found in the Australian Capital Territory.
Aethrikos is a monospecific genus of ovoviviparous velvet worm, containing the single species Aethrikos setosa. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. This species exhibits lecithotrophic ovoviviparity; that is, mothers in this species retain yolky eggs in their uteri. The type locality of this species is Styx River State Forest, New South Wales, Australia.
Critolaus is a monospecific genus of velvet worm containing the single species Critolaus lepidus. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. The type locality of this species is Kroombit Tops, Queensland, Australia.
Leuropezos is a monospecific genus of velvet worm containing the single species Leuropezos eungellensis. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. The type locality of this species is Eungella National Park, Queensland, Australia.
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.
Phallocephale is a monospecific genus of ovoviviparous velvet worm containing the single species Phallocephale tallagandensis. Males are distinguished by the presence of an eversible knoblike structure on the head, whereas females instead have a depression on their head. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. The type locality of this species is Tallaganda National Park, New South Wales, Australia. This species exhibits lecithotrophic ovoviviparity; that is, mothers in this species retain yolky eggs in their uteri.
Regimitra is a monospecific genus of velvet worm containing the single species Regimitra quadricaula. The males of this species have 15 pairs of legs, with the last pair fully developed; females have either 15 leg pairs, with the last pair clawed but reduced, or only 14 leg pairs, preceding a pair reduced to a lump without feet or claws. The type locality of this species is Tuggolo State Forest, 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. This genus was proposed by Hilke Ruhberg in 1985, with Ooperipatellus insignis designed at the type species. This genus is notable as the only one in which velvet worms have no more than 14 pairs of legs:
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 color of the dorsal surface varies from blue to olive green. Females range from 7 mm to 50 mm in length, whereas males range from 6 mm to 36 mm. Like other velvet worms in this genus, this species exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta. The type locality is in South Africa.
Ruhbergia bifalcata is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. The type locality is in New South Wales, Australia.
Ruhbergia brevicorna is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. The type locality is in New South Wales, Australia.
Ruhbergia rostroides is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. The type locality is in New South Wales, Australia.
Ooperipatellus duwilensis is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species has 14 pairs of legs. It is found in Victoria, Australia.
Planipapillus mundus is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. This species has 15 pairs of legs in both sexes. It is found in New South Wales, Australia. Mating in this species occurs via the head-to-tail configuration, in which the male uses its head to inseminate the female's gonopore.
