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.
Geophilus is a large, heterogeneous genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae largely considered to be synonymous with Brachygeophilus. It is a mostly holarctic genus 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 range from 1 cm to 8 cm in length. The generic name first appeared in Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopaedia in 1814 as Geophilus electricus.
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.
Geophilus carpophagus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae, widely considered to be a type species of the genus Geophilus. It grows up to 60 millimeters in length, with an orange/tan body bearing a distinctive purplish marbled pattern. Males of this species have 51 to 55 pairs of legs; females have 53 to 57.
Geophilus aetnensis is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Europe and northern Asia, excluding China. As described by Verhoeff in 1928, it grows up to 28 millimeters and has 53 leg pairs, 4 sensory setae each on the 2nd-4th front sternites, slightly notched maxillae, and very faint sternal pits on the thorax as well as poorly developed sternal grooves.
Geophilus mordax, also called the pitted soil centipede, is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in North America, especially Indiana, Arkansas, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, and Florida. It grows up to 50 millimeters in length, though it averages 25–40, has 49–53 leg pairs in males and 49–57 in females, and is bright red in color. G. mordax also bears 3–5 labral teeth, a short and robust apical claw of the second maxillae, an exposed prebasal plate, and a large, consolidated sacculi.
Geophilus vittatus, also known as the diamondback soil centipede, is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae widespread in North America and named for the dark band of diamond-shaped markings across its back. G. vittatus grows up to 52 millimeters in length, though it averages 25–40, and ranges from brown- to orange-yellow in color, with 49–53 leg pairs in females, 49–51 leg pairs in males, and a lack of consolidated carpophagus structures. It can be found under any debris on the forest floor, but mostly under loose bark and occasionally near the sea.
Geophilus pygmaeus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in the Southern Limestone Alps, between the Bergamasque Prealps in the west and the Slovene Prealps in the east, and in the northernmost Dinarides. Past records from other areas are usually false. G. pygmaeus is less than 20 millimeters long and has 41-47 leg pairs. It differs from other European species of Geophilus by the shape of the forcipular apparatus and arrangement of coxal pores.
Geophilus rhomboideus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Japan. It grows up to 30 millimeters in length; the males have about 43 leg pairs, the females 49.
Geophilus sounkyoensis is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Japan. Its body is yellow in color and it grows up to 40 millimeters in length; the males have about 55 leg pairs, the females 57.
Geophilus bluncki is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in San Remo, Italy. It grows up to 23 millimeters in length; the males have about 61 leg pairs. The uniform pore fields and long antennae resemble Arctogeophilus glacialis, formerly Geophilus glacialis.
Geophilus monoporus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Tiba, Japan. It grows up to 18 millimeters in length; it's named for the single pore at the base of the final leg pair.
Geophilus dentatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Hokkaido. It's yellow in color, 25 millimeters in length, with 41-47 leg pairs and two clearly visible terminal pores. It's very similar to G. truncorum, but differs in the number of outer palpi on the 1st maxillae, the presence of denticles in the midpiece of the labrum, and the number of terminal pores.
Geophilus truncorum is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found across Western Europe, though it reaches as far as Poland, Italy, and Morocco. This centipede is relatively small, growing up to 20mm in length, with a yellow or orangeish brown body and dark yellow or brown head, denser and shorter hair than most Geophilus species, a main plate almost as elongated as in G. flavus (115:100), and distinct carpophagus fossae on the anterior sternites. Males of this species have 35 to 41 pairs of legs; females have 37 to 41.
Geophilus pusillifrater is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Britain. It's a relatively small, pale species, prehensorial claws with pointed teeth at the base, distinct chitin lines, and a very broad ventral plate of the pregenital segment. It's at least partially a littoral creature. Males of this species have 39 or 41 pairs of legs; females have 43 leg pairs.
Geophilus pusillus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Algeria. It grows up to 11 millimeters in length. The original description of this species is based on ten specimens: five male specimens from Algeria with 31 pairs of legs, and five specimens from Germany. Records from the Alpstein mountains indicate that G. pusillus is a soil-dwelling species that prefers humus-rich soil, but these records deserve confirmation. Some authorities consider the specimens recorded from Europe to be specimens of G. ribauti that have been misidentified as specimens of the Algerian species G. pusillus.
Geophilus punicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in the Western Mediterranean, specifically Italy and North Africa (Tunisia). It's an epigeic species, though its habitat preferences are unknown apart from one record from caves, indicating it may also be a trogloxene. The original description of this species is based on male specimens with 43 pairs of legs.
Geophilus koreanus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in North Korea. It's yellow in color and grows up to 30 millimeters long, with 69 leg pairs, a clypeus rather longer than wide, filiform antennae, central part of the labrum with 8 teeth, maxilla completely fused without median suture, tergite bifurcate, final leg tarsus bipartite, and a clawed pratarsus. It's similar to G. strictus, though the latter differs by the middle part of the labrum bearing a large number of very small teeth, and the final hip bearing a large number of pores.
Geophilus bosniensis is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae endemic to Bosnia and Herzegovina. It grows up to 30 millimeters and has 75 leg pairs, as well as sternites unseparated in the median but with a suture line, and sternal pore areas in the trunk segments only. Overall, the identity and phyletic position of this centipede are uncertain.
