Pachymerium caucasicum is a species of centipede in Geophilidae family. It was described by Carl Attems in 1903 and is endemic to the European part of Turkey. Males of this species have 47 pairs of legs; females have 49 pairs of legs. Authorities now deem P. caucasicum to be a junior synonym of P. ferrugineum.
Pachymerium syriacum is a species of centipede in the family Geophilidae that is endemic to the Dodecanese Islands. The original description of this species is based on a female specimen measuring 110 mm in length with 87 pairs of legs. More recently, authorities have assigned this species to another genus under the name Gnathoribautia syriaca.
Pachymerium tabacarui is a species of centipede in Geophilidae family that is endemic to Romania. The original description of this species is based on a female specimen from the Carpathians measuring 15 mm in length with 53 pairs of legs. Authorities now consider this description consistent with a juvenile specimen of P. ferrugineum and therefore deem P. tabacarui to be a junior synonym of that species. Extensive investigations in the Carpathian region have failed to collect any more specimens.
The Geophilidae are a polyphyletic, cosmopolitan family of soil centipedes in the superfamily Geophiloidea containing the mostly defunct clades Aphilodontidae, Dignathodontidae, Linotaeniidae, Chilenophilinae, and Macronicophilidae.
Mecistocephalidae is a monophyletic family of centipedes in the order Geophilomorpha. It is the only family in the suborder Placodesmata. Most species in this family live in tropical or subtropical regions, but some occur in temperate regions. This family is the third most diverse in the order Geophiliomorpha, with about 170 species, including about 130 species in the genus Mecistocephalus.
Geophilus is a large, heterogeneous genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae largely considered to be synonymous with Brachygeophilus. This genus is a mostly holarctic and characterized by a claw-shaped ultimate pretarsus, anterior porefields, complete or nearly complete coxo-pleural sutures at the prosternum, and incomplete chitin-lines. Centipedes in this genus feature slightly elongate heads and labral intermediate parts with tubercles, the forcipules are usually poorly elongate with a single small tubercle at the base of each tarsungulum, and the anterior trunk metasternites usually have an anterior medial socket and a posterior transversally elongate pore-field. The generic name first appeared in Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopaedia in 1814 as Geophilus electricus.
Linotaeniidae are a monophyletic clade of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae found mostly in the temperate regions of the Holarctic as well as the south Andes. Species in the clade Linotaeniidae are characterized by a body that usually tapers toward the anterior tip; mandibles with a single pectinate lamella; second maxillae with coxo-sternite usually undivided and claws without projections; forcipular segment short, with tergite remarkably wide, forcipules evidently tapering; coxal organs opening through distinct pores on the ventral surface of the coxo-pleura. The number of legs in this clade varies within as well as among species and ranges from as few as 31 pairs of legs to as many as 83 leg pairs. Compared to most families in the suborder Adesmata, this clade features a modest number of leg-bearing segments and limited variation in this number within each species.
Geophilus persephones is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae discovered in 1999. This species is named after Persephone, the queen of the underworld in Greek mythology, and found in caves in the Gouffre de la Pierre Saint-Martin. It has elongated antennae and legs as well as abundant sensory setae, and like other geophilomorhps it lacks sight, has a flattened trunk, and is well adapted to underground life. This species was the first troglomorphic geophilomorph ever discovered and one of the only two in existence along with Geophilus hadesi. Known from a single male specimen measuring 16.2 mm in length, this species has only 29 pairs of legs, one of only two species in the Geophilidae family to have so few leg pairs.
Dignathodontidae is a monophyletic clade of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae found in the Mediterranean region, extending to Macaronesia, Caucasus, and western and central Europe. The clade is characterized by a gradually anteriorly tapered body; a short head with non-attenuated antennae; and a poorly sclerotized labrum with tubercles. The number of legs in this clade varies within as well as among species and ranges from 43 pairs to 153 pairs of legs. Species in this clade tend to have more leg-bearing segments and greater intraspecific variability in this number than generally found in the family Geophilidae.
Geophilus electricus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found across temperate Europe, especially Britain and Ireland. Originally discovered and named Scolopendra electrica in 1758, it was later moved to its own genus, Geophilus. As the first species described in this genus, it is considered by some to be the type species. It is yellowish-orange in color and can grow up to 45 millimeters, with 55 to 75 leg pairs, a distinct carpophagus fossae on the anterior sternites, and a distinctive arrangement of the coxal pores of the last leg pair. Like many geophilomorphans, G. electricus has been known to glow in the dark, most likely as a defensive maneuver.
Acanthogeophilus dentifer is the type species of the genus Acanthogeophilus found in the Italian peninsula. The original description of this species is based on an adult male specimen measuring 24 mm in length with 67 pairs of legs. This species is characterized by an absence of anterior tubercles on a forcipular coxosternum, smooth internal margin of forcipular tarsungulum, presence of basal tubercle on forcipular tarsungulum, and transversally elongate sternal pores on the posterior area.
Acanthogeophilus spiniger is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Northwest Africa. The original description of this species is based on a male specimen measuring 27 mm in length with 71 pairs of legs. It was first assigned to the genus Geophilus, but was moved to Acanthogeophilus in 1999 by Foddai and Minelli. Like other species in its genus, it is characterized by incomplete chitin lines, complete coxopleural sutures, stout legs, and a claw-like pretarsus.
Geophilus arenarius is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in northwest Africa, specifically near Annaba, Algeria. This species is frequently misidentified with G. electricus, and as part of the carpophagus species-complex, is closely related to both G. carpophagus and G. easoni, though it differs mainly by lacking a transverse suture on the head and peculiar integumental features (carpophagus-structures) along the trunk, as well as having relatively stouter antennae and forcipular coxosternite. G. arenarius is distinctly smaller at full growth than G. carpophagus, with usually blunter and more sclerotised tubercles lining the intermediate part of the labrum and a minute denticle at the basis of the forcipular tarsungula. It has fewer bristles lining the lateral parts of the labrum than G. easoni as well as a generally higher number of legs and a more greyish coloured trunk. The descriptions of 36 G. arenarius syntypes indicate that males of this species have 55 pairs of legs, whereas females have 55 to 59 leg pairs, with 57 as the most common number.
Geophilus gavoyi is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. It is closely related to both Geophilus aetnensis and its junior synonym G. evisensis; it's considered by some to be a synonym of G. evisensis. It's found under stones in northern Asia and western Europe, especially France and England. It grows to between 23 and 35 millimeters in length and has between 39 and 43 leg pairs in males and 41–45 in females. In the since debunked elongata subspecies it was said to vary from between 49 and 55 leg pairs in males and between 51 and 57 in females. As described in 1964, it has well-developed sternal grooves, longer legs than G. aetnensis, and normal claws in the anal legs.
Geophilus alzonis is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Monte Alzo near Tolosa in Spain, which it was named after. It's a poorly defined species that was described as being light yellow with a light chestnut brown head and 13–14 mm long, with small but numerous leg bristles, sternites bearing three longitudinal furrows, a carpophagus formation from segments 3–6 to segments 11th-13, and 37-51 leg pairs.
Geophilus anonyx is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Oregon. It was originally placed in the genus Brachygeophilus based on the lack of sternal pores, a character shared with the type species B. truncorum, however it was later moved to Geophilus.
Geophilus aztecus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Mexico and Guatemala. The original description of this species is based on a dark red specimen measuring 44 mm in length with antennae moniliform at the apex. This species can reach 52 mm in length and has 57 or 59 pairs of legs.
Diphyonyx is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae found in the Palearctic region. They are notable for the unusually shaped claws on the anterior part of the trunk, which are swollen and have anterior spurs enlarged into elongate projections. Centipedes in this genus have a forcipular coxosternite with a pair of anterior tubercles and feature no sternal pores. Most coxal organs open into a single pit on each coxopleuron. These centipedes range from 4 cm to 6 cm in length and have 65 to 81 pairs of legs.
Ribautia taeniata is a species of centipede in the Geophilidae family. It is endemic to New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in Melanesia. It was first described in 1923 by French entomologist Henri Ribaut.
Nesomerium is a monotypic genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. It was described in 1953 by American myriapodologist Ralph Vary Chamberlin. The sole species is Nesomerium hawaiiense Chamberlin, 1953. Since the original description of this species based on a single specimen, no other specimens have been referred to this species or this genus, and some authorities express doubts about the validity of these taxa and their placement in the family Geophilidae.
