For her Honours project Claire studied the Onychophora (velvet worms) found within Tallaganda
State Forest in southern NSW. The project built on earlier molecular work done by the research team that suggested there
were five different forms of the velvet worm
Euperipatoides rowelli at Tallaganda.
Specifically, the project looked into whether these different forms have distinguishing morphological differences and
whether they can distinguish each other. To achieve the latter, Claire examined the role of the pheromone produced
by male E. rowelli through experiments using Y-shaped mazes to assess attraction between the different forms. This
provides information about E. rowelli mating patterns and their dispersal. Other aspects of Claire’s project involved
studying the behavioural interactions between E. rowelli. This will examine differences in levels of aggression
and/or tolerance between the different forms of the 'species'.
Each of these aspects of Claire’s project provide information about how the five different forms of
E. rowelli have
become and remained discrete, despite being within very close range of each other
