Western Australian Onychophora (Peripatopsidae): a new genus, Kumbadjena, for a southern species-complex

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 5 years ago

ABSTRACT – Two species of Onychophora (Peripatopsidae) were previously known to occur in the south-western corner of Western Australia: Occiperipatoides occidentalis (Fletcher, 1895) and Occiperipatoides gilesii (Spencer, 1909). These two taxa occupy geographically disjunct regions. Using morphological characters, Occiperipatoides 'occidentalis' is shown to comprise a species-complex; three species are described here, two of which are new. A new genus, Kumbadjena, is erected for O. 'occidentalis' to reflect the significant morphological and molecular differences between members of this complex and O. gilesii. The Kumbadjena gen. nov. group occupies a region of relatively high rainfall in the southernmost portion of the state, its distribution reflecting that of karri Eucalyptus diversicolor (Mueller). The monotypic Occiperipatoides gilesii is found in the area surrounding Perth on the Swan Coastal Plain and along the scarp and western parts of the Darling Range plateau. The distribution of these two taxa is discussed in relation to past geographical events.