Oroperipatus


Oroperipatus is a genus of Neotropical velvet worms in the family Peripatidae. Species in this genus are found in South America west of the Andes and in Mexico. This genus is viviparous, with mothers supplying nourishment to their embryos through a placenta.

Description

Velvet worms in this genus can have as few as 22 pairs of legs or as many as 40 leg pairs. Species in this genus have from four to seven distal foot papillae, with two or more on the anterior part of the foot and two or more on the posterior part of the foot. This genus also features a nephridial tubercle on the fourth and fifth leg pairs inserted into a complete third spinous pad.

Species

The genus contains the following species:Oroperipatus balzani Oroperipatus belli Oroperipatus bimbergi Oroperipatus bluntschli Fuhrmann, 1915Oroperipatus cameranoi Oroperipatus corradoi Oroperipatus ecuadorensis Oroperipatus eisenii Oroperipatus intermedius Oroperipatus koepckei Zilch, 1954Oroperipatus lankesteri Oroperipatus multipodes Oroperipatus omeyrus Marcus, 1952Oroperipatus peruvianus Brues, 1917Oroperipatus soratanus Oroperipatus tiputini Montalvo-Salazar et al., 2024Oroperipatus tuberculatus Oroperipatus weyrauchi Marcus, 1952
Oroperipatus goudoti, Oroperipatus quitensis, and Oroperipatus peruanus are considered nomina dubia by Oliveira et al. 2012.