''Ooperipatellus nanus'' is a species of

velvet worm Onychophora (from grc, ονυχής, , "claws"; and , , "to carry"), commonly known as velvet worms (due to their velvety texture and somewhat wormlike appearance) or more ambiguously as peripatus (after the first described genus, '' Peripatus ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Peripatopsidae Peripatopsidae is one of the two living velvet worm families. Description The Peripatopsidae exhibit relatively many characteristics that are perceived as original or "primitive" with respect to the Peripatidae. The number of leg pairs in this ...

. This species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

and is found in the

South Island The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman ...

Taxonomy

This species was first described by

Hilke Ruhberg ''Agroeca'' is a genus of liocranid sac spiders that was first described by Niklas Westring in 1861. Species it contains thirty-five species, found in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Colombia, and Peru: *'' Agroeca agrestis'' Ponomarev, 2 ...

in 1985.

Description

''O. nanus'' is a small species of velvet worm that grows to a length of approximately 10 mm. This species is tan or brown in color on its back but yellow on its underside. It is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), and ...

and has 13 pairs of legs, which is the minimum number found in the phylum

Onychophora Onychophora (from grc, ονυχής, , "claws"; and , , "to carry"), commonly known as velvet worms (due to their velvety texture and somewhat wormlike appearance) or more ambiguously as peripatus (after the first described genus, '' Peripatus ...

Distribution

''O. nanus'' has only been found in

Southland Southland may refer to: Places Canada * Dunbar–Southlands, Vancouver, British Columbia New Zealand * Southland Region, a region of New Zealand * Southland County, a former New Zealand county * Southland District, part of the wider Southland Re ...

, in the

Takitimu Mountains The Takitimu Mountains extend in a north–south direction southeast of Te Anau and Manapouri. The mountain range is about long and contains several peaks of around height, with the Brunel Peaks reaching . In Māori people mythology, the mou ...

Life cycle

This species produce young by laying eggs from which the young subsequently hatch.

Host species

''O. nanus'' are found mainly in rotting beech logs.

Conservation status

This species has been classified as having the "At Risk, Naturally Uncommon" conservation status under the

New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some ...

References

External links

Images of ''O. nanus''.
Onychophorans of Australasia Onychophoran species Animals described in 1985 Worms of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Endemic worms of New Zealand {{onychophore-stub