Morera-Brenes Bernal, Monge-Nájera Julián
Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.
Rev Biol Trop. 2010 Dec;58(4):1127-42. doi: 10.15517/rbt.v58i4.5398.
Onychophorans, or velvet worms, are poorly known and rare animals. Here we report the discovery of a new species that is also the largest onychophoran found so far, a 22 cm long female from the Caribbean coastal forest of Costa Rica. Specimens were examined with Scanning Electron Microscopy; Peripatus solorzanoi sp. nov., is diagnosed as follows: primary papillae convex and conical with rounded bases, with more than 18 scale ranks. Apical section large, spherical, with a basal diameter of at least 20 ranks. Apical piece with 6-7 scale ranks. Outer blade 1 principal tooth, 1 accessory tooth, 1 vestigial accessory tooth (formula: 1/1/1); inner blade 1 principal tooth, 1 accessory tooth, 1 rudimentary accessory tooth, 9 to 10 denticles (formula: 1/1/1/9-10). Accessory tooth blunt in both blades. Four pads in the fourth and fifth oncopods; 4th. pad arched. The previously unknown mechanism by which onychophorans weave their adhesive is simple: muscular action produces a swinging movement of the adhesive-spelling organs; as a result, the streams cross in mid air, weaving the net. Like all onychophorans, P. solorzanoi is a rare species: active protection of the habitat of the largest onychophoran ever described, is considered urgent.
栉蚕，或称天鹅绒虫，是鲜为人知且稀有的动物。在此我们报告发现了一个新物种，它也是迄今为止发现的最大的栉蚕，是一只来自哥斯达黎加加勒比沿海森林、体长22厘米的雌性个体。标本用扫描电子显微镜进行了检查；新物种索氏栉蚕（Peripatus solorzanoi sp. nov.）的诊断如下：初级乳头凸起且呈圆锥形，基部圆润，有超过18排鳞片。顶端部分大，呈球形，基部直径至少有20排。顶端片有6 - 7排鳞片。外刃有1个主齿、1个副齿、1个残留副齿（公式：1/1/1）；内刃有1个主齿、1个副齿、1个退化副齿、9至10个小齿（公式：1/1/1/9 - 10）。两个刃片中的副齿均钝圆。第四和第五对步足上有四个垫；第四个垫呈拱形。栉蚕编织其黏液的此前未知机制很简单：肌肉运动使黏液分泌器官产生摆动；结果，黏液流在空气中交叉，织成网。和所有栉蚕一样，索氏栉蚕是稀有物种：对有史以来描述的最大栉蚕的栖息地进行积极保护被认为刻不容缓。
