Peripatopsis lawrencei, E, Dane, Ruhberg, Hilke & Daniels, Savel R., 2012

E, Dane, Ruhberg, Hilke & Daniels, Savel R., 2012, Two new Peripatopsis species (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae) from the Western Cape province, South Africa, Zootaxa 3380, pp. 55-68 : 64-65

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.211469
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5669698
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/64550F30-FFF0-6772-F1B8-20E0FA587A0B
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Peripatopsis lawrencei
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Peripatopsis lawrencei View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2 View FIGURE 2 a, 3b, 4b and 5b)

(Theewaterskloof-Overstrand or “Clade C”, McDonald & Daniels 2012)

Material examined. Holotype. SAM-ENW-C6468a; Oubos, 34˚04' 34.33"S, 19˚49' 43.76"E, Riviersonderend, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 M collected 20 October 2010 by McDonald and Abels.

Paratypes. SAM-ENW-C6468b; Oubos, 34˚04' 34.33"S, 19˚49' 43.76"E, Riviersonderend, Western Cape province, South Africa, 4 M collected 20 September 2010 by McDonald and Abels.

Additional material examined. SAM-ENW-C6457; Fernkloof Nature Reserve, 34˚23' 37.00"S, 19˚16' 34.00"E, Hermanus, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 F collected 2006 by Daniels and van den Worm, SAM-ENW-C6458a and b; 3 M and 3 F collected 2010 by McDonald and Abels. SAM-ENW-C6455; Dappat se gat, 34˚13' 25.84"S, 18˚50' 24.16"E, Gordon’s Bay, Western Cape province, South Africa, 6 M and 3 F collected 2011 by Van Zyl. SAM-ENW-C6456a and b; Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, 34˚19' 58.51"S, 18˚57' 05.34"E, Kleinmond, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 M and 3 F collected 2011 by McDonald and Abels. SAM- ENW-C6462; Grootbos Private Reserve, 34˚55' 05.00"S, 19˚41' 37.00"E, Gansbaai, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 F and 3 (n/a) collected 2006 by Daniels, SAM-ENW-C6463a and b; 5 M and 6 F collected 2010 by McDonald and Abels. SAM-ENW-C6464; Napier, 34˚29' 23.72"S, 19˚43' 20.25"E, Western Cape province, South Africa, 5 F collected 2010 by Van Zyl, SAM-ENW-C6465; 2 M and 10 F collected 2006 by Daniels and Picker. SAM-ENW-C6454; High Noon, 33˚54' 29.23"S 19˚16' 56.05"E, Villiersdorp, Western Cape province, South Africa, 9 juveniles collected 2006 by Picker, Cowlin, and Merl. SAM-ENW-C6453; 5 (n/a) collected 2006 by Picker and Cowlin. SAM-ENW-C6466, Greyton, 34˚02' 01.52"S 19˚36' 57.32"E, Western Cape province, South Africa, 3 (n/a) (date and collector not specified). SAM-ENW-C6448; Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, 33°58' 05.76"S, 18°56' 24.65"E, Stellenbosch, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 M and 3 F collected 2011 by McDonald and Abels. SAM-ENW-C6449; 2 M and 2 F collected 2011 by McDonald and Abels. SAM-ENW- X7290; unspecified locality, Stellenbosch, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 (n/a) collected 1905 by Brown. SAM-ENW-C6488; Rondevlei, 34˚03' 37.50"S 18˚29' 59.76"E, Cape Flats, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 (n/a) collected by Picker (date not specified). SAM-ENW-C6467; Oubos, 34˚04' 34.33"S, 19˚49' 43.76"E, Riviersonderend, Western Cape province, South Africa, 5 juveniles collected 2010 by McDonald and Abels. SAM- ENW-C6461; Klein Swartberg, 34°12' 43.00"S, 19°30' 23.00"E, Caledon, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 F collected 2011 by McDonald and Abels; SAM-ENW-C6460; 3 M and 4 F collected 2011 by Diedericks and Broeckhoven, SAM-ENW-X6390; 15 (n/a) collected by Watermeyer and Purcell (date unknown). SAM-ENW- C6450, C6451, and C6452; Berg River Dam, 33˚54' 25.14"S, 19˚03' 04.48"E, Franschoek, Western Cape province, South Africa, 4 M and 2 F collected 2010 by Van Zyl. SAM-ENW-X6388; Houw Hoek, Western Cape province, South Africa, 5 (n/a) collected 1900 by Purcell. Sir Lowry’s Pass, Western Cape province, South Africa, SAM-ENW-X4024; 1 (n/a) collected 1899 by Purcell.

Diagnosis. COI: High Noon, Villiersdorp: EU855288 View Materials - EU855291 View Materials , Grootbos Private Nature Reserve: EU855344 View Materials -EU85548, Greyton: EU855340 View Materials - EU855342 View Materials , Fernkloof Nature Reserve: EU855336 View Materials , JN798123 View Materials - JN798126 View Materials , Dappat se gat: JN798096 View Materials - JN798100 View Materials , Caledon: JN798101 View Materials , Jonkershoek: JN798102 View Materials -JN79805, Kogelberg: JN798106 View Materials -JN79807, Oubos: JN798108 View Materials - JN798111 View Materials , Rondevlei: JN798112 View Materials , Napier: JN798113 View Materials - JN798118 View Materials . Sequence divergence values between P. lawrencei sp. nov. and ( P. capensis and P. overbergiensis sp. nov.) are 8.1% and 7.8%, respectively.

18S rRNA: High Noon, Villiersdorp: EU855531 View Materials , JN798146 View Materials , Greyton: EU855528 View Materials , JN798153 View Materials , Fernkloof Nature Reserve: EU855526 View Materials , JN798145 View Materials , Dappat se gat: JN798151 View Materials , Caledon: JN798142 View Materials , Jonkershoek: JN798161 View Materials , Kogelberg: JN798162 View Materials , Oubos: JN798157 View Materials , Rondevlei: JN798159 View Materials , Napier: JN798160 View Materials , Grootbos Private Nature Reserve: EU 855532 View Materials , JN798154 View Materials .

In the combined DNA sequence topology ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ) P. lawrencei sp. nov. formed a genetically distinct and statistically well-supported monophyletic clade ( McDonald & Daniels 2012). Peripatopsis lawrencei sp. nov. is restricted to Clade C.

Description. Measurements: Holotype (M): length: 20 mm, Paratypes (M adults, n = 4): 12–19 mm.

Colour and patterning: Dark brown/slate black/ rust orange to blood red pigmentation. Dark dorsal midline with light lateral band above legs along the entire body. Within the Napier locality no genetic difference was obeserved between blood red and slate black specimens (table 1).

Legs: 17+1 leg pairs. Dorsal foot surface with ridges ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 a). Three complete spinous pads with the fourth being completely to partially fragmented. Crural tubercle semicircular proximally and cylindrical distally (table 1).

Integument: Moderately spaced primary dermal papillae with 2–3 intermittent accessory papillae ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 b; table 1), conical or semicircular dermal papillae with 4–7 scale ranks ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 b; table 1). 5–7 rows of chemoreceptors at antennal tips. Mouth surrounded by 15–16 oral lips.

Male genital area: Gonopore cruciform with “horizontal arms” pointing slightly towards anus. Posterior genital pads smaller and with fewer sensory spines than anterior pads ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 b).

Remarks. P. lawrencei sp. nov. differs from P. capensis in the structure of the male genital pads (compare Figs. 5 View FIGURE 5 b & 5c) as well as in the number of scale ranks on the primary dermal papillae ( Figs. 4 View FIGURE 4 b & 4c). Furthermore, P. lawrencei sp. nov. is superficially similar to P. overbergiensis sp. nov. with slight differences in the dermal papillae arrangement and structure. However, sequence divergence values for the two species are 7.8%, indicating considerable genetic variation. Characters associated with the antennae (e.g. the number of antennal rings) were generally unreliable due to preservation artefacts and were hence omitted from the analysis.

Habitat. Afromontane forest patches in the southwestern part of the Western Cape province. Collected under decaying logs, leaf litter, and stones generally close to streams.

Distribution. Theewaterskloof-Overstrand region: P. lawrencei sp. nov. collected from areas at and surrounding the Hottentots-Holland mountains including the Riviersonderend Mountains and Rondevlei being isolated on the Cape Flats.

Etymology. Named after the late Dr. Reginald Frederick Lawrence, a respected South African invertebrate researcher with a long-standing interest in velvet worms.