Onychophora

Common names: velvet worms, peripatus, onychophorans

Probability of encounter: low

Quarantine importance: no known importance. 

Similarity to mites: none.

Morphology

Normal adult length: > 2 cm
Body tagmata: trunk + head
Eyes: a pair of lateral ocelli
Antennae: 1 pair, annulate
Mouthparts: internal mandibles, pair of oral papillae
Legs: numerous pairs of lobopods
Respiration: cuticular
Gonopore: obscure
Distinguishing features: annulate and papillate body, numerous lobopods, annulate antennae, glue glands

Comments: Velvet worms have an annulated, worm-like body covered with papillae, typically with a grey-blue to brown basic coloration and usually banded or spotted. The head has a pair of ocelli, a pair of annulate antennae, and a pair of oral papillae that produce the glue. The mandibles consist of a pair of sharp, toothed structures within an oral pouch. The legs are lobopods and end with a pair of claws. The anus is terminal.

Diversity: < 100 described species.

References

Tree of Life - http://tolweb.org/tree?group=Onychophora&contgroup=Bilateria