Peripatides Novaezealandiae is an unusual animal. He measures a few centimeters, has the features of both arthropods and rings, and during hunting spits for sacrifice and saliva dissolves its guts. Now he won in this year's edition of the New Zealand “Robaka 2025” competition.
The New Zealand Entomological Society chose “Robaka in 2025”. Among the nominees were, among others, flies, spiders, ants, butterflies and snails. Most of them are endemic species, i.e. found only in the New Zealand natural environment.
The winner was the species known in New Zealand as “Ngaokeoke” or simply “New Zealand Velvet Worm”. In Latin it Peripatoides novaezealandiae.
Spits and dissolves
According to CNN, these are amazing animals. They belong to the type of claws, i.e. land invertebrates, which have the characteristics of both the ring (Annelida) as well as arthropods (Onyneophora). It is believed that they live about five years, and females can give birth to 10-20 young a year.
Adults are up to 5 centimeters long, and their body is supposedly pleasant to the touch like velvet. Their legs are not as clearly educated as with other arthropods. They love to be among rotting leaves in cool and shady places.
At night, they feed on small invertebrates. P. Novaezealandiae They shoot sticky fluid streams to capture the victim. Then they use saliva to dissolve its interior and turn into a nutritious “soup”.
The New Zealand Entomological Society said that there are about two hundred species of animals similar to P. Novaezealandiae. From 500 million years have not changed too much, therefore they are called “live fossils”.
A total of almost 25,000 votes were collected in the competition. To make it more interesting, voters did not have to come from New Zealand. Lots of voices came from North America, Europe and Australia.
CNN, Bugoftheyear.ento.org.nz
Source of the main photo: 2025 Cable News Network All Rights Reserved