Leucopatus

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title: "Leucopatus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["taxa-described-in-2018", "blind-onychophorans", "endangered-fauna-of-australia", "iucn-assessed-onychophorans", "onychophorans-of-australasia", "onychophoran-genera", "taxonomy-articles-created-by-polbot", "taxa-named-by-robert-mesibov"] description: "Genus and species of endangered, eyeless, Peripatopsid velvet worm" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leucopatus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus and species of endangered, eyeless, Peripatopsid velvet worm ::

| image = Leucopatus anophthalmus 283710340.jpg | status = EN | status_system = IUCN2.3 | status_ref = | genus = Leucopatus | parent_authority = Oliveira, Ruhberg, Rowell & Mayer, 2018 | species = anophthalmus | authority = (Ruhberg, Mesibov, Briscoe & Tait, 1991) | range_map = Tasmanipatus_distribution_map.jpg | range_map_caption = Map of Tasmania with the distribution of Leucopatus anophthalmus in white. | synonyms =

• Tasmanipatus anophthalmus Ruhberg, Mesibov, Briscoe & Tait, 1991

Leucopatus is a genus of velvet worm in the family Peripatopsidae, containing a single species, the blind velvet worm (Leucopatus anophthalmus). It is found in northeast Tasmania, Australia, and is ovoviviparous.

The species was first described in 1991 as Tasmanipatus anophthalmus.

Taxonomy

The generic name Leucopatus refers to the species' white colouration. The specific name anophthalmus refers to this species' lack of eyes.

Description

The body is entirely white except for the tips of claws and jaws, which are dark brown. There are 15 pairs of oncopods. Adults are typically 25–30 mm long, but may extend to 50 mm while walking. Most distinctively, this species lacks eyes. Typical habitat is beneath stones and rotten logs in sclerophyllous forests and shrubland.

Conservation

Leucopatus anophthalmus is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

References

References

1. New, T.R.. (1996). "''Tasmanipatus anophthalmus''".
2. (2018-08-16). "Revision of Tasmanian viviparous velvet worms (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae) with descriptions of two new species". Invertebrate Systematics.
3. Oliveira, I.. "Updated Onychophora checklist".
4. "Main checklist". Australian Government Department of the Environment.
5. (2021-12-09). "Phylogenomic Analysis of Velvet Worms (Onychophora) Uncovers an Evolutionary Radiation in the Neotropics". Molecular Biology and Evolution.
6. "Species ''Leucopatus anophthalmus'' (Ruhberg, Mesibov, Briscoe & Tait, 1991)". Australian Government.
7. {{cite Q. Q118793339
8. (1991). "''Tasmanipatus barretti'' gen. nov., sp. nov. and ''Tasmanipatus anophthalmus'' sp. no.: two new and unusual onychophorans (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae) from northeastern Tasmania". Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania.

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