Epiperipatus imthurni explained

Epiperipatus imthurni is a species of velvet worm in the family Peripatidae.^[1] This species ranges from light orange or yellowish brown to a dark brown on its dorsal surface; the ventral surface is a lighter orangeish shade of the same color. The type locality is in Guyana.^[2] No males have been recorded from this species. Females can reach a large size, up to 2.25 g in weight, and range from 25 mm up to 96 mm in length.^[3] They have 29 to 32 pairs of legs, usually 30 or 31.^[4] Females from Trinidad were shown to reproduce via parthenogenesis; the only velvet worm known to do so.^[5]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Oliveira I.. Hering L.. Mayer, G.. amp. Updated Onychophora checklist. Onychophora Website. 24 November 2016.
2. Oliveira. I. S.. Read. V. M. S. J.. Mayer. G.. A world checklist of Onychophora (velvet worms), with notes on nomenclature and status of names. ZooKeys. 2012. 211. 1–70. 10.3897/zookeys.211.3463. 3426840. 22930648. free.
3. Monge-Nájera . Julián . 1994 . Reproductive trends, habitat type and body characteristics in velvet worms (Onychophora) . Revista de Biología Tropical . 42 . 3 . en . 611–622 . 2215-2075.
4. Oliveira . Ivo S. . Lacorte . Gustavo A. . Fonseca . Cleusa G. . Wieloch . Alfredo H. . Mayer . Georg . 2011-06-10 . Cryptic Speciation in Brazilian Epiperipatus (Onychophora: Peripatidae) Reveals an Underestimated Diversity among the Peripatid Velvet Worms . PLOS ONE . en . 6 . 6 . e19973 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0019973 . 1932-6203 . 3112143 . 21695250 . free .
5. V. M. St. J. . Read . July 1988 . The Onychophora of Trinidad, Tobago, and the Lesser Antilles . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 93 . 3 . 225–57 . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1988.tb01362.x.