| Peripatopsis leonina | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Onychophora |
| Family: | Peripatopsidae |
| Genus: | Peripatopsis |
| Species: | P. leonina |
| Binomial name | |
| Peripatopsis leonina Purcell, 1899 | |
Peripatopsis leonina, commonly known as the Lion's Hill velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. Endemic to South Africa, it has not been seen since 1912 and is thought to be critically endangered or possibly extinct.
Peripatopsis leonina was described by William Frederick Purcell in 1899, but no holotype was designated. Later publications referred to "paratypoids" and "ex types" of this species deposited in the Zoologisches Museum in Hamburg, Germany, however, the type status of these specimens is unclear. This species was last recorded in 1912 and requires taxonomic revision. [2]
Peripatopsis leonina is known only from its type locality on the south-east slopes of Signal Hill (also known as Lion's Hill) on the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. It was found under stones in ravines among fynbos. [1]
Peripatopsis leonina is greenish-black to black with five longitudinal dark stripes above and pink below. The dorsal papillae are orange with black centres, creating a speckled appearance, while the ventral papillae are typically dark green. This species has 20 to 24 pairs of legs, usually 21 or 22 leg pairs, with the last pair of legs reduced. [3] [4] Females of this species measure 7–41 mm (0.28–1.61 in) long and 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) wide, with males measuring 7–34 mm (0.28–1.34 in) long and 2–2.8 mm (0.079–0.110 in) wide. [3]
Peripatopsis leonina was listed as extinct by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature in 1996, but was reassessed as critically endangered in 2003 on the basis that its extinction has not been conclusively confirmed. P. leonina was recorded only from the type locality, which has undergone significant residential and agricultural development. [1] It has not been recorded since 1912, [5] [2] and could not be located in a 2009 survey of South African Peripatopsis. [6] It is likely to have declined due to habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, and air pollution. [1]
Peripatoides suteri is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae. Like all other species in the genus Peripatoides, this species is ovoviviparous and endemic to New Zealand. This species is notable for featuring 16 pairs of legs, unlike all other species of Peripatoides, which have only 15 leg pairs. This species has more legs than any other species of velvet worm found in New Zealand.
Peripatopsis is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatopsidae family. These velvet worms are found in the KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This genus was proposed by the British zoologist Reginald I. Pocock in 1894 with Peripatopsis capensis designated as the type species.
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.
Metaperipatus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae that contains two species found in Chile, including Metaperipatus inae. This genus was created by the American zoologist Austin Hobart Clark in 1913 to contain the type species, M. blainvillei. Authorities believe M. blainvillei is a species complex, however, and some consider M. blainvillei a nomen dubium.
Paraperipatus is a genus of velvet worms in the family Peripatopsidae. This genus exhibits matrotrophic viviparity, that is, mothers in this genus retain eggs in their uteri and supply nourishment to their embryos, but without any placenta. Species in this genus are found in New Guinea and the surrounding islands, including the Maluku achipelago.
Eoperipatus horsti is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Authorities have designated this velvet worm as the type species for the genus Eoperipatus, because among the species originally included in this genus, this species is the only one known from descriptions of both sexes. This species is found in Malaysia.
Epiperipatus hilkae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is found in Costa Rica. This velvet worm is closely related to another species of Epiperipatus found in Costa Rica, E. isthmicola. The species E. hilkae is named in honor of the German zoologist Hilke Ruhberg for her extensive work on velvet worms.
Oroperipatus lankesteri is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This velvet worm is notable for its large size, reaching 82 mm in length. This species is known only from its type locality in the northern Pacific lowlands of Ecuador.
Oroperipatus peruvianus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Males of this species have 34 pairs of legs; females have 36 or 37 pairs. This velvet worm is found in Peru.
Peripatus dominicae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The type locality for this species is on the Caribbean island of Dominica. Although the Canadian zoologist Stewart Peck introduced the name Peripatus dominicae dominicae in 1975 to distinguish the original species from other subspecies then assigned to P. dominicae, authorities now deem these subspecies to be separate species in light of the significant distances between their type localities.
Peripatus juanensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family discovered in Puerto Rico in 1900. As of 2018, it is the only velvet worm found in Puerto Rico. Females of this species have 31 or 32 pairs of legs; males have 27.
Peripatus sedgwicki is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 29 to 32 pairs of legs; males have 28 to 30. Females range from 25 mm to 60 mm in length, while males range from 23 mm to 30 mm. The type locality is in Venezuela.
Paraperipatus keiensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Females of this species have 24 or 25 pairs of legs; males have 22 or 23 leg pairs. The type locality is in Kai Besar in Indonesia.
Peripatopsis balfouri is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 18 pairs of clawed legs. Also known as the blue velvet worm, this species ranges from 9 mm to 22 mm in length. The type locality is in South Africa.
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 strongly reduced last pair without claws or spinous pads. Females of this species range from 9 mm to 70 mm in length, whereas males range from 6 mm to 54 mm. The native range of this species is limited to the Cape Peninsula of South Africa.
Peripatopsis intermedia is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species is about 33 mm long and has 19 pairs of legs: 18 pregenital leg pairs plus a last pair of much reduced legs. The type locality is in South Africa. Although some authorities doubt the validity of this species and deem it to be a junior synonym of P. balfouri, others consider these two to be separate species, citing the distance between their type localities.
Peripatopsis lawrencei is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species has 17 pairs of legs, with the last pair reduced in size but featuring two claws on each leg. This species is restricted to the Theewaterskloof-Overstrand region of South Africa.
Peripatopsis moseleyi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Males of this species have 20 to 24 pairs of legs with claws ; females have 19 to 23 pairs of legs with claws. Females range from 11 mm to 75 mm in length, whereas males range from 9 mm to 50 mm. The type locality is in South Africa.
Peripatopsis sedgwicki is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. Also known as the Tsitsikamma velvet worm, this species has a narrow geographic distribution in South Africa but is especially abundant in the indigenous forest of the Tsitsikamma mountains. Recent phylogenetic analysis using molecular data finds that Peripatopsis sedgwicki as traditionally understood based on morphology is a species complex that contains four different species: P. sedgwicki s.s., P. orientalis, P. collarium, and P. margaritarius.
Peripatopsis overbergiensis, the Overberg velvet worm, is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family. This species usually has 19 pairs of legs: 18 pregenital leg pairs plus one last pair that is strongly reduced and without claws or spinous pads. Some individuals, however, have only 18 leg pairs. This species is limited to the Overberg region of South Africa.
