Peripatopsis overbergiensis E, Ruhberg & Daniels, 2012, sp. nov.
Creators: name: E, Dane
name: Ruhberg, Hilke
name: Daniels, Savel R.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Onychophora
Peripatopsidae
Peripatopsis
Peripatopsis overbergiensis

description: Peripatopsis overbergiensis sp. nov.
(Figs. 1, 2 b, 4a and 5)
(Overberg or “Clade B”, in McDonald & Daniels 2012)
Material examined. Holotype. SAM-ENW-C6480a; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, 33˚58' 55.00"S, 20˚49' 23.00"E, Langeberg, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 M collected 5 October 2010 by McDonald and Abels. Paratypes. SAM-ENW-C6480b; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, 33˚58' 55.00"S, 20˚49' 23.00"E, Langeberg, Western Cape province, South Africa, 2 M and 1 F collected 5 October 2010 by McDonald and Abels.
Additional material examined. SAM-ENW-C6482, C6483, C6484, C6485, C6486, and C6487; Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserve, 33˚58' 55.00"S, 20˚49' 23.00"E, Langeberg, Western Cape province, South Africa, 17 M and 41 F collected 2006 by Daniels, Fortuin, and Gordon, SAM-ENW-C6330; 11 (n/a) collected by Prins (date not specified). SAM-ENW-C6475, C6476, C6477, C6478, C6479; Duiwelsbos, 33˚59' 51.84"S, 20˚27' 27.68"E, Marloth Nature Reserve, Swellendam, Western Cape province, South Africa, 6 M, 3 F, and 9 sectioned specimens collected 2006 by Daniels, Fortuin, and Gordon; SAM-ENW-C6472, C6473, C6474; 1 M, 7 F and 3 juveniles collected 2010 by McDonald and Abels. SAM-ENW-X6391; Unspecified locality, Swellendam, Western Cape province, South Africa, 2 M and 1 (n/a) collected 1900 by Fry, SAM-ENW-X6389; 8 (n/a) collected 1900 by Purcell. SAM-ENW-B6386; Tradouws Pass, Swellendam, Western Cape province, South Africa, 1 (n/a) (date and collector not specified), SAM-ENW-B6837; 1 (n/a) collected (date not specified) by Barnard. SAM-ENW-C6471; De Hoop Nature Reserve, 34˚17' 35.00"S, 20˚29' 19.00"E, Potberg, Western Cape province, South Africa, 3 M, 1 F, and 3 (n/a) collected 2006 by Daniels, Fortuin and Gordon; SAM-ENW-C6469 and C6470; 6 M and 4 F collected 2010 by Daniels, McDonald, Engelbrecht, and Gordon.
Diagnosis. 18+1, seldom (n =6) 17+1 leg pairs.
COI: Potberg-De Hoop Nature Reserve: EU855316 - EU855320, JN798137 -798141, Grootvadersbos Nature Reserve: EU855311 - EU855315, JN798127 - JN798129, Marloth Nature Reserve: EU855284 - EU855287, JN798130 -JN79813033. Sequence divergence values between P. overbergiensis sp. nov. and (P. capensis and P. lawrencei sp. nov.) are 8.6% and 7.8%, respectively.
18S rRNA: Potberg-De Hoop Nature Reserve: EU855534, JN798144, Grootvadersbos Nature Reserve: EU855527, JN798155, Marloth Nature Reserve: EU855533, JN798156.
In the combined DNA sequence topology (Fig. 1) P. overbergiensis sp. nov. formed a genetically distinct and statistically well-supported monophyletic group (McDonald & Daniels 2012). Peripatopsis overbergiensis sp. nov. is restricted to Clade B.
Description. Measurements: Holotype (M): length: 26 mm, Paratypes: (M, n = 2) 14–23 mm, (F, n = 1) 32 mm.
Colour and patterning: Dorsal coloration: two colour morphs present, (1) Dark brown/slate black to olive green/bluish black, and (2) rust orange. Dark dorsal midline with orange or light lateral band above legs along the entire body. Creamy white or orange ventral coloration. De Hoop specimens (n = 17) with distinct white antennal base (table 1).
Legs: 18+1, seldom 17+1 leg pairs. Dorsal foot surface with ridges (Fig. 2 b). Four complete spinous pads or fourth pad fragmented. Distal section of the crural tubercle is not strongly demarcated (table 1).
Integument: Primary dermal papillae widely spaced with two intermittent accessory papillae (Fig. 3 a; table 1), semicircular or dome-shaped primary dermal papillae with 5–6 scale ranks (Fig. 4 a; table 1). 6–8 rows of chemoreceptors at antennal tips. Mouth surrounded by 13–16 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 a).
Remarks. P. overbergiensis is genetically distinct and forms a well-supported monophyletic clade (Fig. 1). This species is distinct from P. c a p e n s i s and P. lawrencei sp. nov. in terms of the number of pregenital legs. Specimens having 17 pregenital leg pairs are associated with dark (dirty cream) ventral coloration. The Potberg-De Hoop locality was characterised by a white antennal base. P. overbergiensis sp. nov. is further characterised by four complete spinous pads (Fig. 2 a). Characters associated with the antennae (e.g. number of antennal rings) were generally unreliable due to preservation artefacts and were hence omitted from the analysis.
Habitat. Afromontane forest patches in the southeastern part of the Western Cape province. Collected under decaying logs, leaf litter, and stones generally close to streams.
Distribution. Overberg region: P. overbergiensis sp. nov. has been collected from the Marloth and Grootvadersbosch Nature Reserves, which form part of the Swellendam district located on the lower reaches of the Langeberg Mountain ranges. Specimens have also been collected from De Hoop Nature Reserve at Potberg Mountain.
Etymology. Named after the Overberg biogeographic region.
description: Published as part of E, Dane, Ruhberg, Hilke & Daniels, Savel R., 2012, Two new Peripatopsis species (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae) from the Western Cape province, South Africa, pp. 55-68 in Zootaxa 3380 on pages 65-66, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.211469