This glossary describes the terms used in formal descriptions of spiders; where applicable these terms are used in describing other arachnids.
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.
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 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 admarinus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. It's found in southeast Alaska under stones near the low tide mark and is capable of surviving prolonged submersion underwater.
Geophilus alaskanus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Alaska. It bears similarities to Mecistocephalus attenuatus, however unlike M. attenuatus, it has oblong cephalic lamina, unarmed coxae, and unarmed claw at base. G. alaskanus is dull orange-brown in color, grows to about 30 millimeters, and has 53 leg pairs with the first pair being very small and the last pair being distinctly larger than the others. It also possesses coalesced frontal lamina, unexposed basal lamina broader than the cephalic, a prehensorial sternum that's broader than it is long, distinct lateral grooves, obsolete prosternal teeth, a smooth, bare dorsal surface except for two faint impressed lines, and a small pleurae of the last segment marked with 8–10 pigmented pores of which the posterior one of the ventral face is larger than the others and sunk in a deep cavity.
Geophilus gracilis is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found most commonly in Britain and Ireland, though specimens have also been recorded in Chile, France, Greece, and Algeria. It lives under mud and stones along the coast near or below the high tide mark, grows up to 30 millimeters in length, and is bright yellow in color with a darker reddish head. Males of this species have 51 to 57 pairs of legs; females have 51 to 61 leg pairs. This species is often confused with G. flavus and, in coastal locations, G. osquidatum.
Geophilus algarum is a species of centipede in the family Geophilidae found in the littoral zone on the French Atlantic and Channel Coasts. It has one subspecies, G. algarum var. decipiens, which can be identified by lack of a dorsal coxal pore. The male of this species has 53 pairs of legs; females have 53 to 59. This species can reach 35 mm in length.
Geophilus fucorum is a halophilic species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in the French Mediterranean, Corsica, Italy, and Greece. Males of this species have 49 to 53 pairs of legs; females have 51 to 55.
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 anonyx is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Oregon. It was originally placed in the genus Brachygeophilus based on the lack of sternal pores, a character shared with the type species B. truncorum, however it was later moved to Geophilus.
Geophilus atopodon is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Beulah, New Mexico. Its body is uniformly light brown, up to 25 millimeters long and rather thick, narrowed posteriorly, with 49–51 leg pairs, a discrete frontal plate, and a long claw of the anal legs.
Geophilus becki is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found in Cabrillo Beach, California near San Pedro under rocks and kelp at the water's edge. It grows up to 50 millimeters long and is generally orange-yellow in color with clear yellow legs and 61–63 leg pairs.
Geophilus glaber is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found beneath logs and other debris in California. It grows up to 53 millimeters long, with a discrete frontal plate, large anal pores, and slender feet of the last legs. The female of this species has 53 or 55 pairs of legs.
Geophilus nicolanus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae found on San Nicholas Island, California. It's dark brown in color and grows up to 62 millimeters long, with 63 leg pairs, a concealed prebasal plate, numerous coxal pores, and a very wide final ventral plate with convex sides.
Geophilus richardi is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae. This centipede is found in France and Monaco in the Western Alps and on the Italian mainland, Sicily, Sardinia, and the Ionian Islands. This species is notable as one of only two in the family Geophilidae to include centipedes with as few as 29 leg pairs.
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.
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.
Escaryus vitimicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Schendylidae. This centipede is found in the Republic of Buryatia in the Russian Far East. This species features 37 pairs of legs in each sex and can reach 27 mm in length.
