Macroperipatus Explained

Macroperipatus is a genus of Neotropical velvet worms in the Peripatidae family.^[1] Velvet worms in this genus can have as few as 24 pairs of legs (in M. guianensis)^[2] or as many as 42 leg pairs (in M. torquatus).^[3] This genus is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.

Species

The genus contains the following species:^[4]

• Macroperipatus clarki Arnett, 1961
• Macroperipatus guianensis (Evans, 1903)
• Macroperipatus insularis Clark, 1937
• Macroperipatus ohausi Bouvier, 1900
• Macroperipatus perrieri (Bouvier, 1899)
• Macroperipatus torquatus (von Kennel, 1883)
• Macroperipatus valerioi Morera-Brenes and León, 1986

Macroperipatus geayi (Bouvier, 1899) is considered a nomen dubium by Oliveira et al. 2012.

Notes and References

1. 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. 22930648. 3426840. free.
2. Monge-Nájera . Julián . 1994 . Reproductive trends, habitat type and body characteristcs in velvet worms (Onychophora) . Revista de Biología Tropical . en . 611–622 . 2215-2075.
3. Read . V.M.S.J. . 1988-07-01 . The Onychophora of Trinidad, Tobago and the Lesser Antilles . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 93 . 3 . 225–257 . 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1988.tb01362.x . 0024-4082.
4. Oliveira . etal . A world checklist of Onychophora (velvet worms), with notes on nomenclature and status of names. 211. 1–70. 3426840. ZooKeys. 2012. 22930648. 10.3897/zookeys.211.3463. free .