Eoperipatus butleri

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Eoperipatus butleri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Onychophora
Family: Peripatidae
Genus: Eoperipatus
Species:
E. butleri
Binomial name
Eoperipatus butleri
Evans, 1901

Eoperipatus butleri is a Malaysian species of velvet worm in the Peripatidae family.[1]

Taxonomy[edit]

Eoperipatus butleri was described by Richard Evans in 1901, from a single female specimen discovered by A. M. Butler in the Larut Hills of West Malaysia. The generic name Eoperipatus is derived from an Ancient Greek combining form of ēṓs, meaning "dawn", and peripatos, meaning "walking about". The specific name butleri is in honour of its discoverer.[2] Although some have suggested that E. butleri is a junior synonym of E. weldoni,[3] other authorities maintain that E. butleri is valid as a different species,[1][4] citing the significant distance (over 300 km) between the type localities of these two species.[5]

Description[edit]

The dorsal surface is dark brown with pale spots and a darker brown mid-dorsal line extending from the first pair of oncopods (legs) to the anus. The ventral surface is slightly lighter brown than the dorsal surface. The type specimen was 52 mm in length and 6 mm in width. The female of this species has 24 pairs of legs,[2] but the male has only 22 leg pairs.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Oliveira I. S.; Hering L. & Mayer, G. "Updated Onychophora checklist". Onychophora Website. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  2. ^ a b Evans, R. (1901). "Eoperipatus butleri (nov sp)". Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science. 44 (176): 539-545 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. ^ a b Bouvier, E.-L. (1905). "Monographie des Onychophores". Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Zoologie (in French). 9 (2): 1–383 – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  4. ^ Oliveira Ide S, Schaffer S, Kvartalnov PV, Galoyan EA, Palko IV, Weck-Heimann A, Geissler P, Ruhbergh H, Mayer G (2013). "A new species of Eoperipatus (Onychophora) from Vietnam reveals novel morphological characters for the South-East Asian Peripatidae". Zoologischer Anzeiger. 252 (4): 495–510. doi:10.1016/j.jcz.2013.01.001.
  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.