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Velvet worms
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Velvet worms of Otago
Did you know four species of velvet worm living in Aotearoa New Zealand can be found in, or near, Otago?
Aotearoa New Zealand’s peripatus, a velvet-skinned, grey-blue, caterpillar-like creature, are little changed from 500 million years ago and have their own phylym: Onychophora.
Peripatus are commonly known as velvet worms from their velvety appearance and in Māori as ngāokeoke. They can be found throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, but are restricted to moist, dark microhabitats, and only come out at night to prey on other invertebrates, which they catch with jets of a sticky substance expelled from a pair of modified limbs.
Four species of velvet worm assessed nationally for their conservation status in the New Zealand Threat Classification System have been identified as being present, or near, Otago: Peripatoides taitonga, P. otepoti, Ooperipatellus viridimaculatus are confirmed in the region. Whereas P. waikaia is currently documented only from native forest towards the head of the Waikaia River just outside Otago’s boundary.
Peripatoides otepoti. Photo: Samuel Purdie.
Ooperipatellus viridimaculatus. Photo: Samuel Purdie.
Peripatoides otepoti. Photo: Samuel Purdie.
Peripatoides otepoti. Photo: Samuel Purdie.
Peripatoides otepoti. Photo: Samuel Purdie.
Peripatoides otepoti. Photo: Samuel Purdie.
Ooperipatellus viridimaculatus. Photo: Samuel Purdie.
While only 12 species of Onychophora (two are Ooperipatellus and 10 species are Peripatoides) are currently assessed nationally for their conservation status, with four of them in, or near, the Otago Region. A recent study, however, suggests there may between 16 and 21 Ooperipatellus species and between 13 and 67 Peripatoides species endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand, i.e., found nowhere else on Earth. Further exploration of species-level diversity and distributions of Ooperipatellus and Peripatoides will likely lead to the confirmation of additional species, including in Otago.
A total of four species of Onychophora listed in the New Zealand Threat Classification System were identified as present, or near, the Otago Region. Three species were assessed as Regionally Not Threatened (Peripatoides otepoti, P. taitonga and Ooperipatellus viridimaculatus) and one species as Regionally Data Deficient (P. Waikaia).
A species list of ngāokeoke, also known as velvet worms or peripatus, recorded in Otago can be downloaded below.
Regional threat assessments
We have published threat assessments on various species' groups in our region.
Reports and publications - biodiversity
We have developed a range of resources on indigenous biodiversity in Otago, including regional threat assessment reports, educational factsheets and posters about species, and an online native planting guide to inform ecological restoration efforts.
To find out more about ngāokeoke (velvet worms or peripatus) in Aotearoa New Zealand, visit the websites of Te Papa Atawhai – Department of Conservation (DOC), Bioeconomy Science Institute, and Massey University – Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa.
Have you spotted a ngāokeoke? Take a photo and upload your observation to iNaturalist, including the location and date, to help improve our knowledge of ngāokeoke in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ngāokeoke: Te Papa Atawhai – Department of Conservation (DOC)
DOC’s website provides information about ngāokeoke, including their biology, habitat, distribution, threats and conservation.
Ngāokeoke: Massey University – Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa
Massey University’s Soil Bugs website provides information about ngāokeoke, including their biology, habitat, distribution and conservation.
Ngāokeoke: Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI)
BSI’s website provides information about ngāokeoke, including their taxonomy, biology, distribution and identification.
iNaturalist – Mātaki Taiao
iNaturalist is an online-access participatory science project where you can record and share observations on plants, fungi, and animals, including ngāokeoke velvet worms, contributing to scientific research and conservation efforts.
