As the sun sets, Moths, Spiders, Beetles, Wētā, and other invertebrates emerge from hiding. It’s a warm and moist night, perfect for a Velvet Worm who is out and about.
Unlike millipedes whose speedy legs allow them to zip around the forest floor, Velvet Worms take their sweet time. Each pudgy leg ends in a spiny pad and a hooked claw that helps them crawl through the undergrowth.
doubt that they can see very well. (Oscar Thomas)
AN EVENING HUNT
In the darkness, Velvet Worms reach out with their antennae and feel for their prey. While they have tiny eyes at the base of their antennae, researchers are not yet sure how well they can see. According to Mark Bathurst in New Zealand Geographic, it’s more likely that their eyes can only tell how bright their surroundings are.
Once they feel their favorite juicy prey like a Beetle or a Spider, blam! They shoot a sticky liquid that looks similar to a Spider web. This stringy substance spews out of the two oral papillae on each side of their head, trapping prey and preventing them from escaping.
Once subdued, the Peripatus can take their time munching – or should I say slurping? – on dinner. They take a huge chomp using their mandibles and inject a digestive substance to break down the insides into a juicy meal.
FIERCE PREDATOR RIGHT IN THE CITY
The Velvet Worm in the photos is a Dunedin Peripatus (Peripatoides otepoti), a newly described species published by Steven Trewick, Emily Koot, and Mary Morgan-Richards just last year.
This species is known for being easily observed in parks and green spaces around the city of Dunedin.
A WORM WHO WALKS
Velvet Worms aren’t quite Worms. They may have the soft body of a Worm, but they have limbs and the skeletal composition of an Arthropod.
According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation, this is what gave Velvet Worms the reputation of being the “missing link” between Annelids and Arthropods. They are under the Phylum Onychophora and are generally called Velvet Worms or Peripatus based on the first genus that was described.
Peripatus can generally be found in the Southern hemisphere, including countries like New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and South Africa. They prefer to stay in moist habitats, such as rotting logs, so that their bodies don’t dry out.
BIZARRE BIRTHS
In New Zealand, there are two genera with a striking difference. Peripatoides give birth to live young, while Ooperipatella lay eggs.
A young Peripatus looks almost exactly like an adult, except they are usually paler. They start off almost white and darken in color with age.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
According to Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand, the Te Reo Māori name ngaokeoke means to crawl. Meanwhile, their Peripatus name comes from the Greek word peripatetic, which means to wander.
WINNER WINNER, JUICY DINNER!
Every year, the Entomological Society of New Zealand holds a nationwide competition called the New Zealand Bug of the Year. This online campaign aims to increase awareness and appreciation of local invertebrates, including Insects, Spiders, Worms, and many more. Bug Enthusiasts run campaigns to back their favorites by sharing posters and running social media pages.
This year, institutions around Dunedin city supported their backyard predator, the NZ Velvet Worm and, after weeks of campaigning, they won!
It was a close competition. The NZ Praying Mantis (Orthodera novaezealandiae) came close but only managed second place, followed by the Giant Springtail (Holacanthella spp.).
COME JOIN IN THE NEXT BUG OF THE YEAR!
Keep an eye (or your compound eye) on the 2026 competition through The Entomological Society of New Zealand’s website! Even if you’re not from New Zealand, you can vote and support your favorite Bug.
