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. Some authorities deem P. caucasicum to be a junior synonym of P. ferrugineum.
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. Some authorities 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. Species in this family are characterized by mandibles with a single pectinate lamella, slender antennae, sternal pores with variable arrangement, a generally slightly or moderately elongate head, frequently undivided coxosternite with two paramedian sclerotized lines, claws without rows of filament, and female gonopods usually being an undivided lamina.
Mecistocephalidae are 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. 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. The generic name first appeared in Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopaedia in 1814 as Geophilus electricus.
Tygarrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, found mainly in southeast Asia and from the Seychelles to Hawaii. Although species in this genus can have either 43 or 45 leg-bearing segments, most of these species have 45 leg pairs. An undescribed Tygarrup species found in the Andaman Islands has 43 leg pairs. Centipedes in this genus range from 2 cm to 6 cm in length. Tygarrup javanicus is one of the smallest of the mecistocephalid species and has become an invasive in greenhouses in Europe.
Arrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, native to Europe and Asia as far as Japan. These centipedes range from 1 cm to 5 cm in length. All species in this genus have 41 leg-bearing segments. Most are soil-dwellers but Arrup akiyoshiensis is a troglobiont.
Agnostrup is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae, native to Europe and Asia. These centipedes range from 2 cm to 3 cm in length. All species in this genus have 41 leg-bearing segments.
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, this species has only 29 pairs of legs, one of only two species in the Geophilidae family to have so few leg pairs.
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. An examination of 36 G. arenarius syntypes indicates 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 impressus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found all over Europe, and has also been recorded in North Africa. It lives frequently in endogean habitats; in Sardinia it's found mostly in Quercus ilex woods, but also in Mediterranean shrub, open habitats, and maquis. It lives anywhere from sea level to 1700 meters above it, sometimes in caves.
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 23-35 millimeters in length and has between 39–43 leg pairs in males and 41–45 in females. In the since debunked elongata subspecies it was said to vary from between 49-55 leg pairs in males and between 51-57 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 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 osquidatum is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in western Europe, from mainland Spain through western France to Britain and Ireland, though it's also been recorded in Italy, Czech Republic, and Germany. It grows up to 30 millimeters, has 53-63 leg pairs, and is bright yellow with a darker reddish head. Because of this, it's often confused with G. flavus and G. gracilis. Its subspecies, G. osquidatum porosum, was found synonymous with G. flavus. In Britain, G. osquidatum is found in a wide range of habitats including woodland, grassland, and coastal shingle as well as gardens and waste ground.
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 richardi is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in France, Italy, and the Ionian Islands. Females of this species have 33 pairs of legs; males have 29 or 31. This species is one of only two in the family Geophilidae to include centipedes with as few as 29 leg pairs. This species grows up to 10 millimeters long, has no carpophagus pit or pore-fields, and has a gradually tapering, curved pretarsus of the second maxillae. G. richardi lacks typical ventral pores between 2–4mm. The sternites instead bear a small number of pores between 0.5–1mm that differ from micropores, which are unbounded by a cuticular ring. These are possibly the remnants of typical ventral pores, their smaller size being a byproduct of overall miniaturization.
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.
Geophilus claremontus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Claremont, California, after which it was named. It was incorrectly placed in the genus Brachygeophilus in 1929 by Attems, most likely based on the lack of sternal pores.
Mecistocephalus is a genus of centipedes in the family Mecistocephalidae. It was described by British entomologist George Newport in 1843. Centipedes in this genus range from 2 cm to 10 cm in length and usually have 45 to 51 pairs of legs. A majority of the species in this genus have 49 pairs of legs. Variation in the number of leg-bearing segments within each sex and within species has been recorded among the species with the greatest number of legs in this genus: M. diversisternus, which has 57 or 59 leg pairs, M. japonicus, which has 63 or 65 leg pairs, and M. microporus, which has odd numbers of leg pairs ranging from 93 to 101, the maximum number in the family Mecistocephalidae.
