Updated Onychophora checklist

Epiperipatus adenocryptus
Epiperipatus adenocryptus from Brazil
So far, 243 species of velvet worms have been described, of which 222 are valid species and 21 represent nomina dubia [1–5]. These include 238 extant representatives subdivided into two major subgrouops, Peripatidae with 81 valid species and 12 nomina dubia), and Peripatopsidae with 135 valid species and 10 nomina dubia. The record of unambiguous fossils includes five additional species with uncertain relationships to the extant taxa [1]. In the following, we provide an updated classification and a complete list of species of Onychophora, which is based on Oliveira [1].
 

Status of names


▣ valid 
▣ nomen dubium
▣ Onychophora incertae sedis

Onychophora Grube, 1850

▣ Peripatidae Audouin & Milne-Edwards, 1832
▣ Cerradopatus Oliveira et al., 2015
▣ Cerradopatus sucuriuensis Oliveira, Lacorte, Weck-Heimann, Cordeiro, Wieloch & Mayer, 2015
▣ Eoperipatus Evans, 1901
▣ Eoperipatus butleri Evans, 1901
▣ Eoperipatus horsti Evans, 1901
▣ Eoperipatus sumatranus (Sedgwick, 1888)
▣ Eoperipatus totoro Oliveira, Schaffer, Kvartalnov, Galoyan, Palko, Weck-Heimann, Geissler, Ruhberg & Mayer, 2013
▣ Eoperipatus weldoni Evans, 1901
▣ Epiperipatus Clark, 1913
▣Epiperipatus acacioi (Marcus & Marcus, 1955)
▣Epiperipatus adenocryptus Oliveira, Lacorte, Fonseca, Wieloch & Mayer, 2011
▣ Epiperipatus barbadensis (Froehlich, 1962)
▣ Epiperipatus barbouri (Brues, 1911)
▣ Epiperipatus beckeri Costa, Chagas & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2018
▣ Epiperipatus bernali Costa & Giribet, 2021
▣ Epiperipatus betheli (Cockerell, 1913)
▣ Epiperipatus biolleyi (Bouvier, 1902)
▣ Epiperipatus brasiliensis (Bouvier, 1899)
▣ Epiperipatus broadwayi (Clark, 1913)
▣ Epiperipatus cratensis Brito, Pereira, Ferreira, Vasconscellos & Almeida, 2010
▣ Epiperipatus diadenoproctus Oliveira, Lacorte, Fonseca, Wieloch & Mayer, 2011
▣ Epiperipatus edwardsii (Blanchard, 1847)
▣ Epiperipatus evansi (Bouvier, 1904)
▣ Epiperipatus hilkae Morera-Brenes & Monge-Nájera, 1990
▣ Epiperipatus hyperbolicus Costa, Chagas & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2018
▣ Epiperipatus imthurni (Sclater, 1888)
▣ Epiperipatus isthmicola (Bouvier, 1902)
▣ Epiperipatus lewisi Arnett, 1961
▣ Epiperipatus lucerna Costa, Chagas & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2018
▣ Epiperipatus machadoi (Oliveira & Wieloch, 2005)
▣ Epiperipatus marajoara Costa, Chagas & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2018
▣ Epiperipatus nicaraguensis (Bouvier, 1900)
▣ Epiperipatus ohausi (Bouvier, 1900)
▣ Epiperipatus paurognostus Oliveira, Lacorte, Fonseca, Wieloch & Mayer, 2011
▣ Epiperipatus puri Costa, Mendes & Giupponi, 2023
▣ Epiperipatus simoni (Bouvier, 1899)
▣ Epiperipatus titanicus Costa, Chagas & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2018
▣ Epiperipatus torrealbai Scorza, 1953
▣ Epiperipatus trinidadensis (Sedgwick, 1888)
▣ Epiperipatus tucupi (Froehlich, 1968)
▣ Epiperipatus vagans (Brues, 1925)
▣ Epiperipatus vespuccii Brues, 1914
▣ Heteroperipatus Zilch, 1954
▣ Heteroperipatus clarki (Dunn, 1943)
▣ Heteroperipatus engelhardi Zilch, 1954
▣ Macroperipatus Clark, 1913
▣ Macroperipatus clarki Arnett, 1961
▣ Macroperipatus geayi (Bouvier, 1899)
▣ Macroperipatus guianensis (Evans, 1903)
▣ Macroperipatus insularis Clark, 1937
▣ Macroperipatus perrieri (Bouvier, 1899)
▣ Macroperipatus torquatus (von Kennel, 1883)
▣ Macroperipatus valerioi Morera-Brenes & Léon, 1986
▣ Mesoperipatus Evans, 1901
▣ Mesoperipatus tholloni (Bouvier, 1898)
▣ Mongeperipatus Barquero-González et al., 2020
▣ Mongeperipatus kekoldi Barquero-González, Sánchez-Vargas & Morera-Brenes, 2020
▣ Mongeperipatus solorzanoi (Morera-Brenes & Monge-Nájera, 2010)
▣ Oroperipatus Cockerell, 1908
▣ Oroperipatus balzani (Camerano, 1897)
▣ Oroperipatus belli (Bouvier, 1904)
▣ Oroperipatus bimbergi (Fuhrmann, 1913)
▣ Oroperipatus bluntschlii Fuhrmann, 1915
▣ Oroperipatus cameranoi (Bouvier, 1899)
▣ Oroperipatus corradoi (Camerano, 1898)
▣ Oroperipatus ecuadorensis (Bouvier, 1902)
▣ Oroperipatus eisenii (Wheeler, 1898)
▣ Oroperipatus goudoti (Bouvier, 1899)
▣ Oroperipatus intermedius (Bouvier, 1901)
▣ Oroperipatus koepckei Zilch, 1954b
▣ Oroperipatus lankesteri (Bouvier, 1899)
▣ Oroperipatus multipodes (Fuhrmann, 1913)
▣ Oroperipatus omeyrus du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1952
▣ Oroperipatus peruanus (Grube, 1876)
▣ Oroperipatus peruvianus (Brues, 1917)
▣ Oroperipatus quitensis (Schmarda, 1871)
▣ Oroperipatus soratanus (Bouvier, 1901)
▣ Oroperipatus tuberculatus (Bouvier, 1898)
▣ Oroperipatus weyrauchi du Bois-Reymond Marcus, 1952
▣ Peripatus Guilding, 1826
▣ Peripatus antiguensis Bouvier, 1899
▣ Peripatus basilensis Brues, 1935
▣ Peripatus bavaysi Bouvier, 1899
▣ Peripatus bouvieri Fuhrmann, 1913
▣ Peripatus broelemanni Bouvier, 1899
▣ Peripatus danicus Bouvier, 1900
▣ Peripatus darlingtoni Brues, 1935
▣ Peripatus dominicae Pollard, 1893
▣ Peripatus evelinae Marcus, 1937
▣ Peripatus haitiensis Brues, 1913
▣ Peripatus heloisae Carvalho, 1941
▣ Peripatus juanensis Bouvier, 1900
▣ Peripatus juliformis Guilding, 1826
▣ Peripatus lachauxensis Brues, 1935
▣ Peripatus manni Brues, 1913
▣ Peripatus ruber Fuhrmann, 1913
▣ Peripatus sedgwicki Bouvier, 1899
▣ Peripatus swainsonae Cockerell, 1893
▣ Plicatoperipatus Clark, 1913
▣ Plicatoperipatus jamaicensis (Grabham & Cockerell, 1892)
▣ Principapillatus Oliveira et al., 2012
▣ Principapillatus hitoyensis Oliveira, Franke, Hering, Schaffer, Rowell, Weck-Heimann, Monge-Nájera, Morera-Brenes & Mayer, 2012
▣ Speleoperipatus Peck, 1975
▣ Speleoperipatus spelaeus Peck, 1975
▣ Typhloperipatus Kemp, 1913
▣ Typhloperipatus williamsoni Kemp, 1913
▣ Peripatopsidae Bouvier, 1905
▣ Acanthokara Reid, 1996
▣ Acanthokara kaputensis Reid, 1996
▣ Aethrikos Reid, 1996
▣ Aethrikos setosa Reid, 1996
▣ Aktinothele Reid, 1996
▣ Aktinothele eucharis Reid, 1996
▣ Anoplokaros Reid, 1996
▣ Anoplokaros keerensis Reid, 1996
▣ Austroperipatus Baehr, 1977
▣ Austroperipatus aequabilis Reid, 1996
▣ Austroperipatus eridelos Reid, 1996
▣ Austroperipatus paradoxus (Bouvier, 1914)
▣ Austroperipatus superbus Reid, 1996
▣ Baeothele Reid, 1996
▣ Baeothele saukros Reid, 1996
▣ Centorumis Reid, 1996
▣ Centorumis trigona Reid, 1996
▣ Cephalofovea Ruhberg et al., 1988
▣ Cephalofovea cameroni Reid, Tait, Briscoe & Rowell, 1995
▣ Cephalofovea clandestina Reid, Tait, Briscoe & Rowell, 1995
▣ Cephalofovea pavimenta Reid, Tait, Briscoe & Rowell, 1995
▣ Cephalofovea tomahmontis Ruhberg, Tait, Briscoe & Storch, 1988
▣ Critolaus Reid, 1996
▣ Critolaus lepidus Reid, 1996
▣ Dactylothele Reid, 1996
▣ Dactylothele habros Reid, 1996
▣ Diemenipatus Oliveira et al. 2018
▣ Diemenipatus mesibovi Oliveira, Ruhberg, Rowell & Mayer, 2018
▣ Diemenipatus taiti Oliveira, Ruhberg, Rowell & Mayer, 2018
▣ Dystactotylos Reid, 1996
▣ Dystactotylos aletes Reid, 1996
▣ Euperipatoides Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Euperipatoides kanangrensis Reid, 1996
▣ Euperipatoides leuckartii (Sänger, 1871)
▣ Euperipatoides rowelli Reid, 1996
▣ Florelliceps Tait & Norman, 2001
▣ Florelliceps stutchburyae Tait & Norman, 2001
▣ Hylonomoipos Reid, 1996
▣ Hylonomoipos akares Reid, 1996
▣ Hylonomoipos brookensis Reid, 1996
▣ Konothele Reid, 1996
▣ Konothele kallimos Reid, 1996
▣ Kumbadjena Reid, 2002
▣ Kumbadjena extrema Sato, Buckman-Young, Harvey & Giribet, 2018
▣ Kumbadjena kaata Reid, 2002
▣ Kumbadjena karricola Sato, Buckman-Young, Harvey & Giribet, 2018
▣ Kumbadjena occidentalis (Fletcher, 1895)
▣ Kumbadjena shannonensis Reid, 2002
▣ Kumbadjena toolbrunupensis Sato, Buckman-Young, Harvey & Giribet, 2018
▣ Lathropatus Reid, 2000
▣ Lathropatus nemorum Reid, 2000
▣ Leucopatus Oliveira et al. 2018
▣ Leucopatus anophthalmus (Ruhberg, Mesibov, Briscoe & Tait, 1991)
▣ Leuropezos Reid, 1996
▣ Leuropezos eungellensis Reid, 1996
▣ Mantonipatus Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Mantonipatus persiculus Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Metaperipatus Clark, 1913
▣ Metaperipatus blainvillei (Gervais, 1837)
▣ Metaperipatus inae Mayer, 2007
▣ Minyplanetes Reid, 1996
▣ Minyplanetes kroombensis Reid, 1996
▣ Nodocapitus Reid, 1996
▣ Nodocapitus barryi Reid, 1996
▣ Nodocapitus formosus Reid, 1996
▣ Nodocapitus inornatus Reid, 1996
▣ Occiperipatoides Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Occiperipatoides gilesii (Spencer, 1909)
▣ Ooperipatellus Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Ooperipatellus cryptus Jackson & Taylor, 1995
▣ Ooperipatellus decoratus (Baehr, 1977)
▣ Ooperipatellus duwilensis Reid, 1996
▣ Ooperipatellus insignis (Dendy, 1890)
▣ Ooperipatellus nanus Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Ooperipatellus nickmayeri Oliveira & Mayer, 2017
▣ Ooperipatellus parvus Reid, 1996
▣ Ooperipatellus spenceri (Cockerell, 1913)
▣ Ooperipatellus viridimaculatus (Dendy, 1900)
▣ Ooperipatus Dendy, 1900
▣ Ooperipatus birrgus Reid, 2000
▣ Ooperipatus caesius Reid, 2000
▣ Ooperipatus centunculus Reid, 1996
▣ Ooperipatus costatus Reid, 1996
▣ Ooperipatus hispidus Reid, 1996
▣ Ooperipatus lepidus Reid, 2000
▣ Ooperipatus nebulosus Reid, 2000
▣ Ooperipatus oviparus (Dendy, 1895)
▣ Ooperipatus porcatus Reid, 2000
▣ Ooperipatus pulchellus Reid, 1996
▣ Ooperipatus silvanus Reid, 2000
▣ Opisthopatus Purcell, 1899
▣ Opisthopatus amatolensis Choonoo, 1947
▣ Opisthopatus amaxhosa Daniels, Dambire, Klaus & Sharma, 2016
▣ Opisthopatus baziya Barnes & Daniels, 2022
▣ Opisthopatus camdebooi Barnes & Daniels, 2022
▣ Opisthopatus cinctipes Purcell, 1899
▣ Opisthopatus drakensbergi Daniels, Dambire, Klaus & Sharma, 2016
▣ Opisthopatus herbertorum Ruhberg & Hamer, 2005
▣ Opisthopatus highveldi Daniels, Dambire, Klaus & Sharma, 2016
▣ Opisthopatus kwazululandi Daniels, Dambire, Klaus & Sharma, 2016
▣ Opisthopatus laevis Lawrence, 1947
▣ Opisthopatus natalensis Bouvier, 1900
▣ Opisthopatus roseus Lawrence, 1947
▣ Opisthopatus swatii Daniels, Dambire, Klaus & Sharma, 2016
▣ Paraperipatus Willey, 1898
▣ Paraperipatus amboinensis Pflugfelder, 1948
▣ Paraperipatus ceramensis (Muir & Kershaw, 1909)
▣ Paraperipatus keiensis Horst, 1923
▣ Paraperipatus lorentzi Horst, 1910
▣ Paraperipatus novaebritanniae (Willey, 1898)
▣ Paraperipatus papuensis (Sedgwick, 1910)
▣ Paraperipatus schultzei Heymons, 1912
▣ Paraperipatus stresemanni Bouvier, 1914
▣ Paraperipatus vanheurni Horst, 1922
▣ Paropisthopatus Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Paropisthopatus costesi (Gravier & Fage, 1925)
▣ Paropisthopatus umbrinus (Johow, 1911)
▣ Peripatoides Pocock, 1894
▣ Peripatoides aurorbis Trewick, 1998
▣ Peripatoides indigo Ruhberg, 1985
▣ Peripatoides kawekaensis Trewick, 1998
▣ Peripatoides morgani Trewick, 1998
▣ Peripatoides novaezealandiae (Hutton, 1876)
▣ Peripatoides otepoti Trewick, Koot & Morgan-Richards, 2024
▣ Peripatoides suteri (Dendy, 1894)
▣ Peripatoides sympatrica Trewick, 1998
▣ Peripatoides taitonga Trewick, Koot & Morgan-Richards, 2024
▣ Peripatoides waikaia Trewick, Koot & Morgan-Richards, 2024
▣ Peripatopsis Pocock, 1894
▣ Peripatopsis aereus Daniels & Nieto-Lawrence, 2024
▣ Peripatopsis alba Lawrence, 1931
▣ Peripatopsis balfouri (Sedgwick, 1885)
▣ Peripatopsis birgeri Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013
▣ Peripatopsis bolandi Daniels, McDonald & Picker, 2013
▣ Peripatopsis capensis (Grube, 1866)
▣ Peripatopsis cederbergiensis Daniels, McDonald & Picker, 2013
▣ Peripatopsis clavigera Purcell, 1899
▣ Peripatopsis edenensis Barnes, Reiss & Daniels, 2020
▣ Peripatopsis ferox Barnes, Reiss & Daniels, 2020
▣ Peripatopsis hamerae Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013
▣ Peripatopsis intermedia Hutchinson, 1928
▣ Peripatopsis janni Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013
▣ Peripatopsis lawrencei McDonald, Ruhberg & Daniels, 2012
▣ Peripatopsis leonina Purcell, 1899
▣ Peripatopsis mellaria Barnes, Reiss & Daniels, 2020
▣ Peripatopsis mira Barnes, Reiss & Daniels, 2020
▣ Peripatopsis moseleyi (Wood-Mason, 1879)
▣ Peripatopsis overbergiensis McDonald, Ruhberg & Daniels, 2012
▣ Peripatopsis polychroma Grobler, Myburgh, Barnes & Daniels, 2023
▣ Peripatopsis purpureus Daniels, McDonald & Picker, 2013
▣ Peripatopsis sedgwicki Purcell, 1899
▣ Peripatopsis stelliporata Sherbon & Walker, 2004
▣ Peripatopsis storchi Ruhberg & Daniels, 2013
▣ Peripatopsis tulbaghensis Barnes, Reiss & Daniels, 2020
▣ Phallocephale Reid, 1996
▣ Phallocephale tallagandensis Reid, 1996
▣ Planipapillus Reid, 1996
▣ Planipapillus absonus Douch &Reid, 2023
▣ Planipapillus annae Reid, 2000
▣ Planipapillus berti Reid, 2000
▣ Planipapillus biacinaces Reid, 1996
▣ Planipapillus biacinoides Reid, 2000
▣ Planipapillus bulgensis Reid, 1996
▣ Planipapillus cyclus Reid, 2000
▣ Planipapillus gracilis Reid, 2000
▣ Planipapillus impacris Reid, 2000
▣ Planipapillus mundus Reid, 1996
▣ Planipapillus taylori Reid, 1996
▣ Planipapillus tectus Reid, 2000
▣ Planipapillus vittatus Reid, 2000
▣ Regimitra Reid, 1996
▣ Regimitra quadricaula Reid, 1996
▣ Ruhbergia Reid, 1996
▣ Ruhbergia bifalcata Reid, 1996
▣ Ruhbergia brevicorna Reid, 1996
▣ Ruhbergia rostroides Reid, 1996
▣ Sphenoparme Reid, 1996
▣ Sphenoparme hobwensis Reid, 1996
▣ Tasmanipatus Ruhberg et al., 1991
▣ Tasmanipatus barretti Ruhberg, Mesibov, Briscoe & Tait, 1991
▣ Tetrameraden Reid, 1996
▣ Tetrameraden meringos Reid, 1996
▣ Vescerro Reid, 1996
▣ Vescerro turbinatus Reid, 1996
▣ Wambalana Reid, 1996
▣ Wambalana makrothele Reid, 1996
✝ Fossil Taxa
▣ ✝Antennipatus Garwood, Edgecombe & Giribet, 2016
▣ ✝Antennipatus montceauensis Garwood, Edgecombe & Giribet, 2016
▣ ✝Cretoperipatus Engel & Grimaldi, 2002
▣ ✝Cretoperipatus burmiticus Engel & Grimaldi, 2002
▣ ✝Helenodora Thompson & Jones, 1980
▣ ✝Helenodora inopinata Thompson & Jones, 1980
▣ ✝Succinipatopsis Poinar, 2000
▣ ✝Succinipatopsis balticus Poinar, 2000
▣ ✝Tertiapatus Poinar, 2000
▣ ✝Tertiapatus dominicanus Poinar, 2000

References

1. Oliveira (2023) ZooKeys 1184:133–260.
2. Costa et al. (2023) PeerJ 11:e15384.
3. Douch & Reid (2023) Mem. Mus. Vic. 82:257–262.
4. Nieto-Lawrence & Daniels (2024) Invertebr. Syst. 38:IS23051.
4. Trewick, Koot & Morgan-Richards (2024) Insects 15:248.