Peripatus juanensis

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Peripatus juanensis
Peripatus juanensis.png
Peripatus juanensis sighting on January 12, 2022. Found near a burst pipe in Puerto Rico.
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Onychophora
Class: Udeonychophora
Order: Euonychophora
Family: Peripatidae
Genus: Peripatus
Species:
P. juanensis
Binomial name
Peripatus juanensis
Bouvier, 1900
Synonyms
  • Peripatus dominicae juanensisBouvier, 1900

Peripatus juanensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family [1] discovered in Puerto Rico in 1900. [2] As of 2018, it is the only velvet worm found in Puerto Rico. [3] Females of this species have 31 or 32 pairs of legs; males have 27. [4]

Contents

Taxonomy

The first specimens were a pair caught by August Busck on Vieques, Puerto Rico during an entomological study. [5] It was incorrectly described by Sitszungber Peters as Peripatus juliformis in 1880. [5] These specimens were then formally described by Par E. L. Bouvier in 1900 as Peripatus juanensis after evaluating them from a collection in the Museum of Berlin. [2] The two specimens described were females, one with 31 pairs of legs and a length of 35 mm and breadth of 4 mm, the other had 31 pairs of legs and measured 45 mm in length and 4 mm in breadth. [5]

Description

They are usually found under forest litter, rotten wood, under rocks and underground in moist shaded environments. [6] While habitat preferences for this species are unknown, the confirmed habitats include Crecopia family fallen logs [6] and moist underground crevices. [7]

It differs from other Peripatidae by having tighter main papillae, having less prominent accessory papillae, having a single sexual tubercle instead of two on the pairs of pregenital legs on males, and having higher leg counts with females of this species having 31 or 32 pairs of legs; males having 27. [2] [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Peripatus</i> Genus of velvet worms

Peripatus is a genus of velvet worms in the Peripatidae family. The name "peripatus" is also used to refer to the Onychophora as a whole, although this group comprises many other genera besides Peripatus. The genus Peripatus is found in Central America, the Caribbean and northern South America. Velvet worms in this genus can have as few as 24 or 25 pairs of legs or as many as 36 leg pairs. This genus is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.

Eoperipatus horsti is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is brown with pale spots and a darker line running down the middle of its back. Females of this species have 24 or 25 pairs of legs; males have 23 or 24, usually 23. The males of this species can reach 40 mm in length, and the females can reach 46 mm in length, but the average specimen is 34 mm in length. The type locality is in West Malaysia.

Eoperipatus butleri is a Malaysian species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family.

Epiperipatus barbadensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is one of the most common velvet worms kept in captivity. This velvet worm is a homogeneous brown on its dorsal surface. The original description of this species is based on female specimens ranging from 17 mm to 32 mm in length. Females of this species have 31 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Barbados.

Epiperipatus acacioi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is dark purple with a bilaterally symmetric pattern on its dorsal surface and ranges from 13 mm to 47 mm in length. Males of this species have 24 to 27 pairs of legs, usually 25 or 26; females have 26 to 30, usually 27 or 28. The type locality is in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Epiperipatus betheli is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. The original description of this species is based on a dark brown female specimen, 34 mm long, with 30 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Guatemala.

Heteroperipatus clarki is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 26 to 29 pairs of legs. The original description of this species is based on a female specimen measuring 100 mm in length. The type locality is in Panama.

Oroperipatus belli is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The female of this species has 28 pairs of legs; the male has 25 pairs. The type locality is in Ecuador.

Oroperipatus ecuadoriensis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The original description of this species is based on a female specimen notable for its large size ; this description also reports 39 pairs of legs. The type locality is in Ecuador.

<i>Oroperipatus eisenii</i> Species of velvet worm

Oroperipatus eisenii is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae. Females of this species have 27 to 29 pairs of legs, usually 28; males have 23 to 26. Females range from 30 mm to 57 mm in length, while males range from 20 mm to 23 mm. The type locality is found in central Mexico.

Oroperipatus lankesteri is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. This species is brownish grey and is notable for its large size, which ranges from 32 mm up to 82 mm in length. Females of this species have 37 or 38 pairs of legs; males have 33 to 35 pairs. Like other neotropical peripatid velvet worms, this species is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta. The type locality is in 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. Female specimens range from 55 mm to 61 mm in length. The type locality is in Peru.

Peripatus brolemanni is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 30 to 33 pairs of legs; males have 29. Females range from 39 mm to 65 mm in length, whereas males range from 27 mm to 28 mm. The type locality is in Venezuela.

Peripatus danicus is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 31 to 33 pairs of legs; males have 26 to 28. Females range from 26 mm to 45 mm in length, whereas males range from 9 mm to 21 mm. The type locality is in Saint Thomas Island.

Peripatus dominicae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Males of this species have 25 pairs of legs; females can have 28 to 31 pairs of legs, but usually have 29. Females in this species range in size from 29 mm to 56 mm in length, while males range from 17 mm to 25 mm in length. The original description of preserved specimens report that this species is usually reddish brown with a diffuse darker streak down the middle of the back, with a much paler "light grey or greyish yellow" ventral surface. Like other neotropical peripatid velvet worms, this species is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta. The type locality is in Dominica.

Peripatus evelinae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The male of this species has 33 pairs of legs; females have 35 or 36 leg pairs. This species has more legs than any other species of Peripatus; the females of the other species have at most 34 leg pairs, and the males have at most 32. The original description of P. evelinae was based on two specimens and reported females with 32 and 34 leg pairs, but another examination of these specimens revealed a male with 33 leg pairs and a female with 35 leg pairs instead as well as numerous embryos, including females with 35 and 36 leg pairs. The male specimen is 44 mm long; the female is 65 mm long. The type locality is in Goiás, Brazil.

Peripatus heloisae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 31 to 34 pairs of legs; males have 28 to 32. The type locality is in Mato Grosso, Brazil.

<i>Peripatus juliformis</i> Species of velvet worm

Peripatus juliformis is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. The number of legs in this species ranges from 29 pairs to 34 pairs. Specimens are a very dark brown, almost black, with a paler ventral surface. Females range from 36 mm to 75 mm in length, whereas males range from 14 mm to 16 mm. The type locality is on Saint Vincent Island.

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.

Peripatus swainsonae is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family. Females of this species have 31 to 34 pairs of legs; males have 28 to 30. The type locality is in Jamaica.

References

  1. ↑ Oliveira, I.; Hering, L. & Mayer, G. "Updated Onychophora checklist". Onychophora Website. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Bouvier, E.-L. 1900. Observations nouvelles sur les Peripatus. -Bulletin de la Société Entomologique de France 1900: 394-395.
  3. ↑ 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.
  4. 1 2 Monge-Nájera, Julián (1994). "Reproductive trends, habitat type and body characteristcs in velvet worms (Onychophora)". Revista de Biología Tropical: 611–622. ISSN   2215-2075.
  5. 1 2 3 Hobart Clark, Austin (1913). Notes on American Species of Peripatus, with a List of Known Forms. Baltimore, MD, USA: Smithsonian Institution. pp. 1–2.
  6. 1 2 Ferreira, Vinicius S.; Spiessberger, Erich L. (1 October 2018). "First Record of Peripatus juanensis Bouvier, 1900 (Onychophora, Peripatidae) Found in Cecropia (Rosales, Urticaceae) Fallen Trunks in Puerto Rico". Entomological News. 128 (1): 75–77. doi:10.3157/021.128.0111. ISSN   0013-872X – via BioOne Complete.
  7. ↑ Caban, Seth (January 14, 2022). "Peripatus juanensis". iNaturalist. Retrieved March 24, 2022.


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