A world checklist of Onychophora (velvet worms), with notes on nomenclature and status of names - PubMed (original) (raw)

A world checklist of Onychophora (velvet worms), with notes on nomenclature and status of names

Ivo de Sena Oliveira et al. Zookeys. 2012.

Abstract

Currently, the number of valid species of Onychophora is uncertain. To facilitate taxonomic work on this understudied animal group, we present an updated checklist for the two extant onychophoran subgroups, Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae, along with an assessment of the status of each species. According to our study, 82 species of Peripatidae and 115 species of Peripatopsidae have been described thus far. However, among these 197 species, 20 are nomina dubia due to major taxonomic inconsistencies. Apart from nomina dubia, many of the valid species also require revision, in particular representatives of Paraperipatus within the Peripatopsidae, and nearly all species of Peripatidae. In addition to extant representatives, the record of unambiguous fossils includes three species with uncertain relationship to the extant taxa. For all species, we provide a list of synonyms, information on types and type localities, as well as remarks on taxonomic and nomenclatural problems and misspellings. According to recent evidence of high endemism and cryptic speciation among the Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae, previous synonyms are revised. Putative mutations, subspecies and variations are either raised to the species status or synonymised with corresponding taxa. In our revised checklist, we follow the rules and recommendations of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to clarify previous inconsistencies.

Keywords: Peripatidae; Peripatopsidae; catalogue; species list; taxonomy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.

Figure 1.

Diagram illustrating the number of species descriptions of Onychophora per year since the very first description of an onychophoran species by Guilding (1826). Note the numerous gaps in the taxonomical work.

Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Overview map with type localities of valid onychophoran species worldwide. The type localities of the Peripatidae species are indicated by blue dots, those of the Peripatopsidae species by red dots.

Figure 3.

Figure 3.

Overview map withlocalities of onychophoran species regarded as nomina dubia in the present work. Note that the localities of these species are imprecise. The localities of the Peripatidae species are indicated in blue, those of the Peripatopsidae species in red. Numbers refer to the following species: 1 Paraperipatus amboinensis Pflugfelder, 1948 2 Paraperipatus stresemanni Bouvier, 1914b 3 Paraperipatus leopoldi Leloup, 1931 4 Paraperipatus schultzei Heymons, 19125 Peripatoides morgani Trewick, 1998 6 Peripatoides novaezealandiae (Hutton, 1876) 7 Peripatoides aurorbis Trewick, 1998 8 Peripatoides sympatrica Trewick, 1998 9 Ooperipatellus cryptus Jackson & Taylor, 1994 10 Paropisthopatus costesi (Gravier & Fage, 1925) 11 Metaperipatus blainvillei (Gervais, 1837) 12 Oroperipatus peruanus (Grube, 1876) 13 Oroperipatus quitensis (Schmarda, 1871) 14 Oroperipatus goudoti (Bouvier, 1899c) 15 Epiperipatus nicaraguensis (Bouvier, 1900a) 16 Peripatus antiguensis Bouvier, 1899c 17 Peripatus bavaysi Bouvier, 1899c 18 Macroperipatus geayi (Bouvier, 1899c) 19 Epiperipatus tucupi (Froehlich, 1968) 20 Eoperipatus sumatranus (Sedgwick, 1888).

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Arnett RH. (1947) Epiperipatus braziliensis (Bouvier) on Barro Colorado Island, Canal Zone. Entomological News 58: 59-60.
    1. Arnett RH. (1961) The Onychophora of Jamaica. Entomological News 72: 213-220.
    1. Baehr M. (1977) Über einige Onychophoren aus Australien und Tasmanien mit Beschreibung einer neuen Art und Anmerkung zur Stellung von Ooperipatus paradoxus Bouvier, 1915. Zoologische Jahrbücher, Abteilung für Systematik, Geographie und Biologie der Tiere 104: 9-19.
    1. Bell FJ. (1887) A forgotten species of Peripatus (Peripatus quitensis, Schmarda). Zoologist [Series 3] 12: 109.
    1. Belt T. (1874) The naturalist in Nicaragua: a narrative of a residence at the gold mines of Chontales; journeys in the savannahs and forests with observation on animals and plants in reference to the theory of evolution of living forms. Bradbury, Agnew & Co., London, 398 pp.

LinkOut - more resources