Geophilus hadesi

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Geophilus hadesi
Geophilus hadesi - habitus of male specimen (CBSS - CHP515) - Oo 46041.jpg
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. hadesi
Binomial name
Geophilus hadesi
Stoev et al., 2015

Geophilus hadesi is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. [1] [2] This centipede is a troglobite, spending its entire life cycle in a cave environment. This species and Geophilus persephones are the only two troglobites known in the order Geophilomorpha. The species G. hadesi is named after Hades, god of the underworld in Greek mythology and the husband of Persephone, the namesake of the first troglobite discovered among the soil centipedes. The species G. hadesi has been observed in a cave as far as 1,100 meters below the surface, the deepest underground that any centipede has ever been recorded. [3]

Contents

Discovery

This species was first described in 2015 by a team of biologists led by Pavel Stoev of the National Museum of Natural History in Sofia, Bulgaria. The original description of this species is based on three specimens collected by biospeleologists in 2011 from three different caves in the Velebit mountains in Croatia. The first specimen collected, a female holotype, was found 250 meters undergound in the Munižaba cave. The second, a female paratype, was found 500 meters underground in the Muda labudova cave. The third, a male specimen, was found 980 meters underground in the Lukina jama cave, the 15th deepest cave in the world. Another specimen was seen in the same cave at a depth of about 1,100 meters but could not be collected. [3]

Description

Like other soil centipedes, this species is blind, has a flattened body, and is well adapted to life underground. This species also exhibits troglomorphic features (reflecting adaption to life in caves), such as elongated appendages (including long antennae, walking legs, and ultimate legs), as well as elongated trunk segments and unusually long claws on its legs. The female specimens range from about 22 mm in length (in the paratype) to a maximum length of 28 mm (in the holotype); the male specimen measures 27 mm in length. Specimens of both sexes have only 33 pairs of legs. [3]

Two other species in the genus Geophilus resemble G. hadesi most closely: G. persephones and G. piae, which share a number of distinctive traits with G. hadesi. These traits include a modest number of legs: G. persephones has 29 leg pairs (in the only recorded specimen, a male), [4] and G. piae can have as few as 35 pairs in males and 37 pairs in females. [5] All three species also feature sternal pore-fields that extend to the posterior parts of the trunk. [3] Traits shared by these three species also include second maxillae that end in a stout tubercle with a small tip instead of a curved article that tapers gradually. [3] [6] Furthermore, the species G. persephones and G. hadesi also share troglomorphic features, such as long antennae and legs. [3]

The species G. hadesi, however, is larger than either G. persephones, which reaches only 16.2 mm in length, or G. piae, which reaches only 11 mm in length. The other two species may also be distinguished from G. hadesi by the pattern of coxal pores on ventral side of the ultimate legs: In G. hadesi, one pore is isolated in a distinctive position posterior to the other pores. [3]

Related Research Articles

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. A more recent review of this description suggests that P. tabacarui is a junior synonym of Geophilus flavus rather than P. ferrugineum. Extensive investigations in the Carpathian region have failed to collect any more specimens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geophilidae</span> Family of centipedes

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. These centipedes are found almost worldwide.

<i>Himantarium</i> Genus of centipedes

Himantarium is a genus of centipedes in the family Himantariidae. Centipedes in this genus feature a swollen trunk that is posteriorly stout, subcircular sternal pore-fields on almost all trunk segments, much inflated coxapleura completely covered with scattered pores, and a very small metasternite on the ultimate leg-bearing segment; each mandible has a robust dentate lamella and few pectinate lamellae. These centipedes range from 10 cm to 20 cm in length, have from 87 to 179 pairs of legs, and are found in the Mediterranean region. Both the minimum and the maximum number of legs in this genus appear in the species Himantarium gabrielis, which exhibits a striking degree of intraspecific variation in leg number.

<i>Geophilus</i> Genus of centipedes

Geophilus is a large, heterogeneous genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae largely considered to be synonymous with Brachygeophilus. The generic name first appeared in Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopaedia in 1814 as Geophilus electricus. This genus has a Holarctic distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schendylidae</span> Family of centipedes

Schendylidae is a family of centipedes in the order Geophilomorpha found in the Americas, the Palearctic region, Africa, Madagascar, Australia, and southeast Asia, and also on some Pacific islands.

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, G. persephones has only 29 pairs of legs, one of only two species in the Geophilidae family to feature so few leg pairs.

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 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 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.

Geomerinus is a monotypic genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. It was described by French myriapodologist Henry Wilfred Brolemann in 1912. Its sole species is Geomerinus curtipes, originally described as Geophilus curtipes by Erich Haase in 1887. It is endemic to Australia.

Pachymerinus is a genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. It was described by Italian entomologist Filippo Silvestri in 1905. Centipedes in this genus feature elongate heads, elongate forcipules with denticles, scattered coxal pores, and few sternal pores, if any; the intermediate part of the labrum is narrow and has no denticles. These centipedes range from about 3 cm to 8 cm in length, have 47 to 81 pairs of legs, and are found in Chile and southeast Australia. The Australian species Pachymerinus froggatti is notable for its relatively small size, measuring only 28 mm in length. The larger Chilean species P. porteri measures 46 mm in length but can have as few as 47 leg pairs, the minimum number recorded in this genus. The Chilean species P. pluripes measures only 32 mm in length but can have 79 or 81 leg pairs, the maximum number recorded in this genus. The Chilean species P. canaliculatus is known from a female specimen with 75 leg pairs and is notable for its large size, measuring 75 mm in length.

Queenslandophilus is a genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. It was described by German myriapodologist Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff in 1925. Centipedes in this genus feature second maxillae with sclerotized ridges on the coxosternite, no sternal pores, and coxopleura many scattered pores; the lateral parts of the labrum almost touch medially, and the ultimate legs most often have claws. These centipedes range from 1 cm to 6 cm in length, have 37 to 75 pairs of legs, and are found in Australia, Japan, and North America. The Japanese species Queenslandophilus monoporus and Q. macropalpus are notable for their small sizes, measuring only 10 mm and 15 mm in length, respectively. The species Q. elongatus, found in California, is notable for its large size, ranging from 40 mm to 63 mm in length. The species Q. macropalpus has only 37 leg pairs, the minimum number recorded in this genus, whereas Q. elongatus has 73 to 75 leg pairs, the maximum number recorded in this genus.

<i>Ribautia</i> Genus of centipedes

Ribautia is a genus of centipedes in the family Geophilidae. This genus was described by French myriapodologist Henry Wilfred Brolemann in 1909. Centipedes in this genus are found in South America, tropical Africa, Madagascar, the Arabian peninsula, Australia, New Zealand, and Melanesia.

Zelanophilus pococki is a species of centipede in the Zelanophilidae family. It was first described in 1963 by R.E. Crabill.

Australiophilus ferrugineus is a species of centipede in the Zelanophilidae family. It is endemic to New Zealand. It was first described in 1877 by New Zealand biologist Frederick Hutton. Since then, authorities have recognized two junior synonyms, deeming Geophilus huttoni a synonym in 1936 and Geophilus polyporus a synonym in 2014.

Marsikomerus is a genus of centipedes in the family Schendylidae. It was described by Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems in 1938. Species in this genus are found in Mexico and in the United States.

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.

Mecistocephalus spissus is a species of centipede in the Mecistocephalidae family. It was described in 1862 by American biologist Horatio Curtis Wood. This species is dark yellow-brown, has 45 pairs of leg, and can reach 70 mm in length.

Schendylops ramirezi is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is notable as the species with the fewest legs recorded in the order Geophilomorpha for each sex. This species is also the smallest in the genus Schendylops, reaching only 7 mm (0.28 in) in length.

Dinogeophilus is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Schendylidae. This genus contains only two species, Dinogeophilus pauropus and D. oligopodus, which range from 4.5 to 5.5 mm in length. These species are notable as the smallest not only in the order Geophilomorpha but also among all epimorphic centipedes. The species D. oligopodus is also notable as one of only six species of soil centipedes to feature only 29 pairs of legs and one of only two species to include females with only 29 pairs, the minimum number recorded for females in the order Geophilomorpha.

References

  1. "ITIS - Report: Geophilus hadesi". www.itis.gov. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
  2. Bonato, L.; Chagas Junior, A.; Edgecombe, G.D.; Lewis, J.G.E.; Minelli, A.; Pereira, L.A.; Shelley, R.M.; Stoev, P.; Zapparoli, M. (2016). "Geophilus hadesi Stoev, Akkari, Komerički, Edgecombe & Bonato, 2015". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stoev, Pavel; Akkari, Nesrine; Komericki, Ana; Edgecombe, Gregory; Bonato, Lucio (2015). "At the end of the rope: Geophilus hadesi sp. n. – the world's deepest cave-dwelling centipede (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Geophilidae)". ZooKeys (510): 95–114. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.510.9614 . PMC   4523767 . PMID   26257537.
  4. Pereira, Luis Alberto (2013-01-01). "Discovery of a second geophilomorph species (Myriapoda: Chilopoda) having twenty-seven leg-bearing segments, the lowest number recorded up to the present in the centipede order Geophilomorpha". Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia. 53 (13): 163–185. doi: 10.1590/S0031-10492013001300001 . hdl: 11336/3449 . ISSN   1807-0205.
  5. Minelli, Alessandro (1982). "On Sardinian centipedes (Chilopoda)". Bolletino di Zoologia. 49 (1–2): 1–16. doi: 10.1080/11250008209439365 .
  6. Bonato, Lucio; Edgecombe, Gregory; Lewis, John; Minelli, Alessandro; Pereira, Luis; Shelley, Rowland; Zapparoli, Marzio (2010-11-18). "A common terminology for the external anatomy of centipedes (Chilopoda)". ZooKeys (69): 17–51. Bibcode:2010ZooK...69...17B. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.69.737 . ISSN   1313-2970. PMC   3088443 . PMID   21594038.