A proposed solution to the species problem in velvet worm conservation (Onychophora)

Ángel Sosa-Bartuano,Julián Monge-Nájera,Bernal Morera-Brenes

doi:10.22458/urj.v10i1.2027

Ángel Sosa-Bartuano, Julián Monge-Nájera + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.22458/urj.v10i1.2027

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Abstract

Onychophorans or velvet worm are the only phylum without extant marine species and the only invertebrates with a true placenta, but most species are rare and thus more likely to become extinct. A key obstacle for their conservation is the time and work needed to describe species with the high standards current taxonomy, and many species will remain undescribed and without any name for years. Here we propose a way to associate information with undescribed species: "common names", a solution that has proved its value in ornithology. Onychophoran common names must include a geographic indicator and a description a salient characteristic, and to show its viability, here we apply our proposal to the velvet worm fauna of southeastern Central America. Common names like "Lajas Ferruginous Brown Onychophoran", "Churuquita Collared Cinnamon Rufous Onychophoran" and "Antón Collared Mauve Onychophoran" will help conservation until formal Latin binomials become available.

Highlights

Palabras clave: Conservación de Onychophora, nuevas soluciones para biodiversidad amenazada, nombres populares para invertebrados, nombres comunes de gusanos de terciopelo
Onychophorans or velvet worms are the only phylum without extant marine species and the only invertebrates with a true placenta, but most species are rare and more likely to become extinct
Most species are rare and more likely to become extinct, but their biodiversity is so poorly known that even in Costa Rica, where they have been studied for over 100 years, 18 undescribed species were recently reported (Barquero-González, Acosta-Chaves, Sotela, Brenes & Morera-Brenes, 2016a). They are hard to find because, to their small populations, they have a cryptic lifestyle, and we do not know exactly how many species exist, where they are, or what is their population status (Monge-Nájera, 1995; Barclay, Ash & Rowell, 2000), A key obstacle to the conservation of velvet worms is the large amount of funds, time and work needed to describe a single species with the high standards of current taxonomy, i.e. DNA sequencing, ultrastructural microscopy and statistical analyses of variation

Summary

Introduction

Palabras clave: Conservación de Onychophora, nuevas soluciones para biodiversidad amenazada, nombres populares para invertebrados, nombres comunes de gusanos de terciopelo. Most species are rare and more likely to become extinct, but their biodiversity is so poorly known that even in Costa Rica, where they have been studied for over 100 years, 18 undescribed species were recently reported (Barquero-González, Acosta-Chaves, Sotela, Brenes & Morera-Brenes, 2016a) They are hard to find because, to their small populations, they have a cryptic lifestyle, and we do not know exactly how many species exist, where they are, or what is their population status (Monge-Nájera, 1995; Barclay, Ash & Rowell, 2000),. The image must be complete and adequate to make the species unequivocally recognizable They applied this reasoning to describe the beefly Marleyimyia xylocopae on the basis a photograph, because the animal flew away and it is not probable that new specimens will be captured in a foreseeable future (Marshall & Evenhuis, 2015)

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