Geophilus richardi

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Geophilus richardi
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. richardi
Binomial name
Geophilus richardi
Brolemann, 1904

Geophilus richardi is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. [1] This centipede is found in France and Monaco in the Western Alps as well as in Italy and the Ionian islands. [2] [3] [1] This species is notable as one of only two in the family Geophilidae to include centipedes with as few as 29 leg pairs. [4] This centipede is also notable for its small size, reaching only 10 mm in length. [5]

Contents

Discovery

This species was first described by the French myriapodologist Henri W. Brölemann in 1904. The original description of this species is based on two female specimens found in Monaco. Brölemann named this species for the French oceanographer Jules Richard, director of the Musée Océanographique de Monaco, who collected these specimens in 1902. [6]

Distribution

Since the discovery of this centipede in Monaco, this species has been recorded in other Mediterranean localities in Europe, [3] first elsewhere in the Maritime Alps, in the commune of Villeneuve-Loubet in France, [7] then in the comune of Subiaco in the city of Rome in Italy. [8] More recently, this species has been found not only elsewhere on the Italian mainland but also on Italian islands, including Sardinia and Sicily as well as Pianosa and Giannutri in the Tuscan Archipelago, and in the Ionian islands of Greece. [3] [8] On the Italian mainland, this species has been recorded not only in the northwestern regions of Piedmont and Liguria but also from the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines down to southern Calabria. [3]

Ecology and habitats

This species has been recorded in meadows with mosses and humus from the cork oak tree ( Quercus suber ) or another evergreen, Pistacia lentiscus , [8] from sea level to 350 m in elevation. [3] This species has also been found in woods of the maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), in maquis shrubland with the holm oak ( Quercus ilex ) and Pistacia lentiscus, and among shrubs of carob (Ceratonia siliqua), rockrose ( Cistus ), and the strawberry tree (Arbustus unedo), at altitudes up to 710 m in elevation. [3] This species has not been recorded in caves. [3] [2]

Description

Females of this species have 33 pairs of legs, whereas males can have either 29 or 31 leg pairs, [9] but are usually recorded with 31 pairs. [4] [7] [3] This centipede is small, ranging from only 5 mm to 10 mm in length. [3] [2] The body is tapered at each end, and the head is shaped like a rectangle with rounded corners. [6] The head, trunk, and legs feature short setae. [10]

The dorsal shield on the head is slightly longer than wide, with a width/length ratio of 0.97, and the antennae are each 2.8 times as long as the cephalic shield. [10] [11] The labrum is divided into distinct lateral and middle pieces, with four teeth on the middle piece. [10] [7] The inner teeth are short and blunt, but the outer teeth are longer and pointed. [12] Each of the outer branches of the first maxillae features two articles with a single lappet on the basal article. [10] [11] [7] Each of the second maxillae ends in a short curved claw that tapers gradually. [2] [10] The forcipular tergite leaves a short sclerite exposed in front. [6] [10] [11] The ultimate article of the forcipules features a large basal tooth, but the internal margin of this article is not serrate. [10] [11]

The sternites from the second segment to the middle of the trunk feature fields of pores, [10] but this species lacks the pores typically observed on the ventral surface of most soil centipedes, which usually feature pores from 2 to 4 micrometers in diameter that are each surrounded by a cuticular ring. Instead, the sternites in G. richardi bear a small number of pores from 0.5 to 1 micrometer in diameter. These pores are bounded by a cuticular ring, like the pores typically observed in other species and unlike smaller micropores, which lack such a ring. The small pores observed in G. richardi are possibly the remnants of typical ventral pores, their smaller size being a byproduct of overall miniaturization. [13]

Each of the ultimate legs lacks dorsal coxal pores and features two large ventral pores partly covered by the sternite. [7] [2] [10] Each of the ultimate legs ends in a claw. [6] [7] The telson features two small anal pores. [6] [7] [11]

This species shares many features with others in the genus Geophilus . For example, like other species in the same genus, this species features teeth on the middle piece of the labrum, lappets on the first maxillae, and claws on the ultimate legs. [7] [14] Furthermore, as in other Geophilus species, the head is only slightly elongated in this species, and the pores on the ultimate legs are close to the sternite. [10] [7] [15]

A few other Geophilus species found in Europe also include centipedes with a number of legs similar to those observed in G. richardi. For example, G. persephones features 29 leg pairs, G. hadesi features 33 pairs, and G. minimus and G. ribauti can each feature as few as 33 pairs. Each of these species, however, can be distinguished from G. richardi based on other traits. For example, G. richardi features fewer pores on the ultimate legs than found in these other species. Furthermore, the second maxillae each end in a tubercle in G. hadesi, G. persephones, and G. minimus, whereas these maxillae each end in a curved claw in G. richardi. [2] [10] Moreover, both G. persephones and G. hadesi are found in caves and both share troglomorphic traits, such as elongated antennae: The antennae are at least four times as long as the head is wide in these two species but less than three times as long as the head is wide in G. richardi. [2]

Related Research Articles

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

Geophilidae is a family of soil centipedes in the superfamily Geophiloidea and the order Geophilomorpha. In 2014, a phylogenetic analysis based on morphological and molecular data found this family to be polyphyletic. To avoid this polyphyly, authorities dismissed the families Aphilodontidae, Dignathodontidae, Linotaeniidae, and Macronicophilidae, which are now deemed to be junior synonyms for Geophilidae. Authorities also moved some genera from Geophilidae to form the family Zelanophildae in order to avoid the polyphyly of the family Geophilidae. The family Geophilidae now includes more than 650 species in more than 120 genera. This family has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species found almost worldwide.

<i>Geophilus hadesi</i> Species of centipede

Geophilus hadesi is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. 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.

<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.

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.

Aphilodontidae is a monophyletic group of soil centipedes previously considered a family in the order Geophilomorpha. This clade is now considered a subfamily in the family Geophilidae and has been renamed Aphilodontinae. This subfamily now includes more than 30 described species distributed among four genera.

Geophilus arenarius is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in Algeria. As part of the carpophagus species-complex, this species is closely related to both G. carpophagus and G. easoni.

Geophilus proximus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in the northern part of the Palearctic and widespread across the entire Baltic basin, though it reaches as far as the Arctic Circle and has been introduced through human agency to northern, central, and eastern parts of Kazakhstan. It was recorded once with certainty in Britain from Unst in the Shetland Islands; distribution in the rest of Europe is difficult to assess because of frequent misidentifications of the species. Populations from northern Europe are mostly parthenogenetic.

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 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.

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.

Schendyla is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Schendylidae. These centipedes are found in the west Palearctic region. This genus was described by Danish entomologists Vilhelm Bergsøe and Frederik Vilhelm August Meinert in 1866. This genus now includes more than 20 species.

Geophilus oligopus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in several European countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovenia, and Romania. Although this centipede has been described as having an Alpine-Dinaric distribution, this species has also been found in the Carpathian mountains and may be more widespread than previously thought.

Schendylops oligopus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This species is notable as one of only two species in the order Geophilomorpha known to include centipedes with only 27 pairs of legs, the minimum number recorded in this order. Furthermore, S. oligopus was the first species in this order found to feature so few legs.

Mecistocephalus evansi is a species of soil centipede in the family Mecistocephalidae. This centipede is notable for featuring 51 pairs of legs rather than the 49 leg pairs usually observed in the genus Mecistocephalus. This species was first described by the French myriapodologist Henry W. Brolemann in 1922. He based the original description of this species on a single female specimen found in the Maysan governorate on the Tigris river in Iraq.

Alloschizotaenia is a genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae. This genus contains only three valid species. Centipedes in this genus are found in central and east Africa.

Alloschizotaenia bipora is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This species was first described in 1952 by the Austrian myriapodologist Carl Attems.

Arctogeophilus inopinatus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophildae. This centipede is found in western and central France and may also be present in Luxembourg. This species is small, measuring only 18 mm in length, and can have either 39 or 41 pairs of legs.

Schendyla dentata is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is widespread in western Europe. This species is notable not only for its small size, reaching only 12 mm in length, but also for the absence of males in all samples collected. This absence of males suggests that this species reproduces through parthenogenesis.

Mesoschendyla cribrifera is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in South Africa. This species features 55 pairs of legs in each sex and measures 34 mm in length.

Aphilodon is a genus of soil centipedes in the subfamily Aphilodontinae, a clade formerly known as the family Aphilodontidae but now deemed a subfamily within the family Geophilidae. These centipedes are found in South America. This genus includes sixteen species and is the most diverse of the Neotropical genera in the subfamily Aphilodontinae.

References

  1. 1 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 richardi Brölemann, 1904". ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda). Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bonato, Lucio; Stoev, Pavel (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 [102, 106]. Bibcode:2015ZooK..510...95S. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.510.9614 . PMC   4523767 . PMID   26257537.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Zapparoli, Marzio (2011). "New records and remarks on the centipede fauna of endogean habitats of Sardinia (Chilopoda)" (PDF). Conservazione Habitat Invertebrati. 5: 223–242 [237].
  4. 1 2 Stojanović, Dalibor Z.; Šević, Mirko; Makarov, Slobodan E. (2024-03-07). "A new dwarf schendylid centipede (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Schendylidae) with a low number of legs from Serbia, Balkan Peninsula". Zootaxa. 5419 (3): 401–418 [410]. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5419.3.5. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   38480317.
  5. ↑ Bonato, Lucio; Minelli, Alessandro; Drago, Leandro; Pereira, Luis Alberto (2015-09-25). "The phylogenetic position of Dinogeophilus and a new evolutionary framework for the smallest epimorphic centipedes (Chilopoda: Epimorpha)". Contributions to Zoology. 84 (3): 237–253 [249]. doi: 10.1163/18759866-08403004 . hdl: 11577/3146565 . ISSN   1875-9866.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Brölemann, H.W. (1904). "Chilopodes Monégasques. I. Liste des chilopodes du territoire de la principauté ou dans ses environs immediats. II. Description de geophilides nouveaux. III. Un nouvel Himantarium monstrueux". Bulletin du Musée Océanographique de Monaco (in French). 15: 1–15 [9–11] – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Brolemann, H.W. (1930). Éléments d'une faune des myriapodes de France. Chilopodes (PDF) (in French). Toulouse: Imprimérie Toulousaine. pp. 185–186.
  8. 1 2 3 Minelli, Alessandro (1982). "On Sardinian centipedes (Chilopoda)". Bolletino di Zoologia. 49 (1–2): 1–16 [8]. doi: 10.1080/11250008209439365 .
  9. ↑ 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 [183]. doi: 10.1590/S0031-10492013001300001 . hdl: 11336/3449 . ISSN   1807-0205.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Foddai, D. (1999-02-01). "A troglomorphic geophilomorph centipede from southern France (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha: Geophilidae)". Journal of Natural History. 33 (2): 267–287 [278–280]. Bibcode:1999JNatH..33..267F. doi:10.1080/002229399300416. ISSN   0022-2933.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 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.
  12. ↑ Attems, Carl (1929). Attems, Karl (ed.). Lfg. 52 Myriapoda, 1: Geophilomorpha (in German). De Gruyter. pp. 190–191. doi:10.1515/9783111430638. ISBN   978-3-11-143063-8.
  13. ↑ Minelli, Alessandro (1995). "The sternal pore areas of geophilomorph centipedes (Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 115 (2): 185–209 [188, 193]. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1995.tb02327.x . Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  14. ↑ Crabill, Ralph E. (1954). "A conspectus of the northeastern North American species of Geophilus (Chilopoda Geophilomorpha Geophilidae)". Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 56: 172–188 [174]. Retrieved 24 October 2021– via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  15. ↑ Bonato, Lucio; Edgecombe, Gregory D.; Zapparoli, Marzio (2011). "Chilopoda – Taxonomic overview". In Minelli, Alessandro (ed.). The Myriapoda. Volume 1. Leiden: Brill. pp. 363–443 [414]. ISBN   978-90-04-18826-6. OCLC   812207443.
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