Peripatopsis moseleyi

Peripatopsis moseleyi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Onychophora
Family: Peripatopsidae
Genus: Peripatopsis
Species:
P. moseleyi
Binomial name
Peripatopsis moseleyi
(Wood-Mason, 1879)
Synonyms
  • Peripatus moseleyi Wood-Mason, 1879

Peripatopsis moseleyi is a species of velvet worm in the Peripatopsidae family.[1] Males of this species (as traditionally defined) have 20 to 24 pairs of legs with claws (plus one pair without claws);[2] females have 19 to 23 pairs of legs with claws (plus one pair without claws).[3] Females range from 11 mm to 75 mm in length, whereas males range from 9 mm to 50 mm.[4] The type locality is in South Africa.[5]

More recent phylogenetic results indicate that this species as traditionally defined is instead a species complex (P. moseleyi sensu lato) containing five genetically distinct clades, now described as separate species: P. birgeri, P. hamerae, P. janni, P. stortchi, and P. moseleyi sensu stricto. Males of this species more narrowly defined (P. moseleyi sensu stricto) have 22 to 24 pregenital pairs of legs (plus one genital pair); females have 23 pregenital pairs (plus one genital pair). Female specimens range from 42 mm to 60 mm in length; males range from 22 mm to 40 mm in length.[6]

  1. ^ Oliveira I. S.; Hering L.; Mayer, G. "Updated Onychophora checklist". Onychophora Website. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  2. ^ Daniels, S. R.; Ruhberg, H. (2010). "Molecular and morphological variation in a South African velvet worm Peripatopsis moseleyi (Onychophora, Peripatopsidae): evidence for cryptic speciation". Journal of Zoology. 282 (3): 171–179. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2010.00722.x. ISSN 0952-8369.
  3. ^ Hamer, M.L.; Samways, M.J.; Ruhberg, H. (1997). "A review of the Onychophora of South Africa, with discussion of their conservation". Annals of the Natal Museum. 38 (1): 283–312.
  4. ^ Monge-Nájera, Julián (1994). "Reproductive trends, habitat type and body characteristcs in velvet worms (Onychophora)". Revista de Biología Tropical. 42 (3): 611–622. ISSN 2215-2075.
  5. ^ 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. Bibcode:2012ZooK..211....1O. doi:10.3897/zookeys.211.3463. PMC 3426840. PMID 22930648.
  6. ^ Ruhberg, Hilke; Daniels, Savel R. (2013-05-24). "Morphological assessment supports the recognition of four novel species in the widely distributed velvet worm Peripatopsis moseleyi sensu lato (Onychophora : Peripatopsidae)". Invertebrate Systematics. 27 (2): 131–145. doi:10.1071/IS12069. ISSN 1447-2600. S2CID 86036034.