Geophilus carpophagus

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Geophilus carpophagus
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Chilopoda
Order: Geophilomorpha
Family: Geophilidae
Genus: Geophilus
Species:
G. carpophagus
Binomial name
Geophilus carpophagus
Leach, 1815 [a]

Geophilus carpophagus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. [1] [4] [2] It grows up to 60 millimeters in length, with an orange/tan body bearing a distinctive purplish marbled pattern (also seen in Henia vesuviana ). [3] Males of this species have 51 to 55 pairs of legs; females have 53 to 57. [5]

Contents

Taxonomy

Recent studies indicate that G. carpophagus is actually a group of closely related species (dubbed the carpophagus species-complex). So far only three species have been clearly defined; G. carpophagusLeach, 1815, G. easoni Arthur, et al., 2001 from Europe, and G. arenarius Meinert, 1870 from North Africa. [5]

Distribution and habitat

Geophilus carpophagus is widespread in mainland Europe, north-western Africa, and Macaronesia [4] (Madeira; Azores; Canary Islands; Cape Verde) [2] with a viable population discovered in Finland in 2018. [6] In the north of England, it becomes entirely coastal, where it can be found in cliff sites above the high tide mark. Away from the coast, it is usually found living 1 meter or more above the ground in rocks, walls, buildings, and trees. G. carpophagus seemingly has stronger adhesive abilities than G. easoni, presumably to help with climbing. G. carpophagus nests in drier sites than most other British geophilomorphans, which may be connected to its reduced size and number of coxal pores compared to G. easoni. [7]

Behavior

Geophilus carpophagus has a less aggressive defense response than G. easoni (recoiling instead of rearing and bearing poison claws). In laboratory cultures, mothers that were deliberately disturbed and left their brood would return to coil around it again, a behavior that has never been observed in any other geophilomorph species. [7]

Notes

  1. ↑ Year given as 1814, [1] 1815, [2] or 1816, [3] depending on the source

References

  1. 1 2 Barber AD, ed. (2025). "Geophilus carpophagus Leach, 1814". World Database of littoral Myriapoda. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Bonato L.; et al. (2016). "Geophilus carpophagus Leach, 1815". ChiloBase 2.0 – A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Geophilus carpophagus Leach, 1816". British Myriapod and Isopod Group. 2025. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  4. 1 2 Bonato, Lucio; Minelli, Alessandro (2011). "Geophilus arenarius, a long-misunderstood species in the still unresolved carpophagus species-complex (Chilopoda: Geophilidae)". Zootaxa. 3114 (1): 40–49. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3114.1.4.
  5. 1 2 Gregory, Steve (2015). "Geophilomorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Geophilomorha) from north-west Spain and northern Portugal collected by the British Myriapod and Isopod Group in 2004". Bulletin of the British Myriapod & Isopod Group. 28: 2–14 [12]. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Vahtera, Varpu; Lehtinen, Pekka T. (2018). "Rediscovery of Geophilus carpophagus Leach (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha) from Finland". Memoranda Societatis pro Fauna et Flora Fennica. 94: 36–38. S2CID   134251384.
  7. 1 2 Arthur, Wallace; Johnstone, J.; Kettle, C. (2002). "Ecological and Behavioural Characteristics of Geophilus easoni Arthur et al. and G. carpophagus Leach" (PDF). Bulletin of the British Myriapod and Isopod Group. 18: 26–32. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
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