Geophilus

{{Short description|Genus of centipedes}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = Soil Centipede (22520553902).jpg | taxon = Geophilus | authority = Leach, 1814 }}

'''''Geophilus''''' (from Ancient Greek γεω- (''geo-''), meaning "earth", and φίλος (''phílos''), meaning "lover") is a large, heterogeneous genus of soil centipedes in the family Geophilidae<ref name="ITIS"/><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Bonato |first1=Lucio |last2=Zapparoli |first2=Marzio |last3=Drago |first3=Leandro |last4=Minelli |first4=Alessandro |date=2016 |title=An unusually elongate endogeic centipede from Sardinia (Chilopoda: Geophilidae) |journal=European Journal of Taxonomy |issue=231 |pages=1–19 |doi=10.5852/EJT.2016.231 |s2cid=58911978 |doi-access=free |hdl-access=free |hdl=11577/3189380}}</ref> largely considered to be synonymous with ''Brachygeophilus''.<ref name="ChiloBase"/> The generic name first appeared in Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopaedia in 1814 as ''Geophilus electricus''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Brewster |first1=David |date=1814 |title=Crustaceology |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37187666 |journal=Edinburgh Encyclopaedia |volume=7 |issue=2 |page=409 |doi=10.5962/bhl.title.30911 |access-date=16 December 2021 |doi-access=free}}</ref> This genus has a Holarctic distribution.<ref name=":12" />

== Description == This genus is characterized by a claw-shaped ultimate pretarsus, complete or nearly complete coxo-pleural sutures at the prosternum, and incomplete chitin-lines.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Crabill |first1=Ralph E. |date=1954 |title=A conspectus of the northeastern North American species of ''Geophilus'' (Chilopoda Geophilomorpha Geophilidae) |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16179236 |journal=Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington |volume=56 |pages=172–188 [174] |doi= |access-date=24 October 2021 |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}</ref> Centipedes in this genus feature slightly elongate heads and labral intermediate parts with tubercles, the forcipules are usually poorly elongate with a single small tubercle at the base of each tarsungulum, and the anterior trunk metasternites usually have an anterior medial socket and a posterior transversally elongate pore-field.<ref name=":12" />

Centipedes in this genus range from about 1 cm to about 8 cm in length.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last1=Bonato |first1=Lucio |title=The Myriapoda. Volume 1 |last2=Edgecombe |first2=Gregory D. |last3=Zapparoli |first3=Marzio |publisher=Brill |year=2011 |isbn=978-90-04-18826-6 |editor-last=Minelli |editor-first=Alessandro |location=Leiden |pages=363–443 [414] |chapter=Chilopoda – Taxonomic overview |oclc=812207443}}</ref> Several species in this genus are notable for their small sizes, including ''G. minimus'' (measuring 9.5 mm in length),<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Attems |first=Carl |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111430638/html |title=Lfg. 52 Myriapoda, 1: Geophilomorpha |publisher=De Gruyter |year=1929 |isbn= |editor-last1=Attems |editor-first1=Karl |pages=200, 325, 355 |language=de |doi=10.1515/9783111430638}}</ref> ''G. pinivagus'' (10 mm),<ref name=":2" /> ''G. richardi'' (10 mm),<ref name=":3" /> ''G. pusillus'' (11 mm),<ref name=":2" /> and ''G. piae'' (11 mm).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bonato |first1=Lucio |last2=Minelli |first2=Alessandro |last3=Drago |first3=Leandro |last4=Pereira |first4=Luis Alberto |date=2015-09-25 |title=The phylogenetic position of Dinogeophilus and a new evolutionary framework for the smallest epimorphic centipedes (Chilopoda: Epimorpha) |url=https://brill.com/view/journals/ctoz/84/3/article-p237_4.xml |journal=Contributions to Zoology |volume=84 |issue=3 |pages=237–253 [249] |doi=10.1163/18759866-08403004 |issn=1875-9866|hdl=11577/3146565 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Other species are notable for their large sizes, including ''G. procerus'' (measuring 72 mm in length)<ref name=":2" /> and ''G. piedus'' (75 mm).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chamberlin |first=Ralph V. |date=1930 |title=On some centipeds and millipeds from Utah and Arizona |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53390223#page/142/mode/1up |journal=Pan-Pacific Entomologist |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=111–121 [114] |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}</ref>

Although centipedes in this genus can have as many as 89 pairs of legs (in ''G. caucasicus'',<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Bonato |first1=L. |last2=Chagas Junior |first2=A. |last3=Edgecombe |first3=G.D. |last4=Lewis |first4=J.G.E. |last5=Minelli |first5=A. |last6=Pereira |first6=L.A. |last7=Shelley |first7=R.M. |last8=Stoev |first8=P. |last9=Zapparoli |first9=M. |date=2016 |title=Geophilus caucasicus Sseliwanoff, 1884 |url=https://chilobase.biologia.unipd.it/searches/result_species/3177 |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=ChiloBase 2.0 - A World Catalogue of Centipedes (Chilopoda)}}</ref> with 57 to 89 leg pairs<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bonato |first1=Lucio |last2=Iorio |first2=Étienne |last3=Minelli |first3=Alessandro |date=2011 |title=The centipede genus Clinopodes C. L. Koch, 1847 (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Geophilidae): reassessment of species diversity and distribution, with a new species from the Maritime Alps (France) |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/z2011n2a3_0.pdf |journal=Zoosystema |language=en |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=175–205 [184] |doi=10.5252/z2011n2a3 |issn=1280-9551}}</ref>), most species in this genus have a much smaller number of legs.<ref name=":1" /> For example, two species in this genus include centipedes with only 29 leg pairs, the lowest number recorded in the family Geophilidae: ''G. persephones'' (29 in the only specimen, a male) and ''G. richardi'' (29 or 31 in males and 33 in females).<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Pereira |first=Luis Alberto |date=2013-01-01 |title=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 |journal=Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia |language=en |volume=53 |issue=13 |pages=163–185 |doi=10.1590/S0031-10492013001300001 |doi-access=free |hdl=11336/3449 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Several other species in this genus are known from specimens with notably few leg pairs in each sex, including ''G. ribauti'' (as few as 31 in males and 33 in females),<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Iorio |first1=Etienne |last2=Labroche |first2=Aurélien |date=2015 |title=Les chilopodes (Chilopoda) de la moitié nord de la France: toutes les bases pour débuter l'étude de ce groupe et identifier facilement les espèces |url=https://www.biodiversite-auvergne-rhone-alpes.fr/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/IORIO__LABROCHE_2015_Chilopoda_Northern_France_low_res.pdf |journal=Invertébrés Armoricains |language=French |volume=13 |pages=1–108 [65]}}</ref> ''G. hadesi'' (33 in both sexes),<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Stoev |first1=Pavel |last2=Akkari |first2=Nesrine |last3=Komericki |first3=Ana |last4=Edgecombe |first4=Gregory |last5=Bonato |first5=Lucio |date=2015-06-30 |title=At the end of the rope: ''Geophilus hadesi'' sp. n. – the world's deepest cave-dwelling centipede (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha, Geophilidae) |url=https://zookeys.pensoft.net/article/5527/ |journal=ZooKeys |language=en |issue=510 |pages=95–114 |doi=10.3897/zookeys.510.9614 |pmc=4523767 |pmid=26257537|doi-access=free }}</ref> ''G. piae'' (as few as 35 in males and 37 in females),<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Minelli |first=Alessandro |date=1982 |title=On Sardinian centipedes (Chilopoda) |journal=Bolletino di Zoologia |language=en |volume=49 |issue=1–2 |pages=1–16 |doi=10.1080/11250008209439365 |doi-access=free }}</ref> and ''G. bipartitus'' (35 in males and 39 in females).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Takakuwa |first1=Yosioki |date=1937 |title=The Geophilus-species of Japan |url=https://dl.ndl.go.jp/info:ndljp/pid/10834429?itemId=info%3Andljp%2Fpid%2F10834429&__lang=ja |journal=Zoological Magazine, Tokyo |language=Japanese |volume=49 |issue=8 |pages=282–286 |access-date=1 February 2022 |via=NDL Digital Collections}}</ref>

==Species== This genus is the largest in the family Geophilidae, with about 140 species:<ref name=":12" /><ref name="ITIS">{{ITIS |title=''Geophilus'' Leach, 1814 |id=1092218 |access-date=2 November 2021}}</ref><ref name="ChiloBase">{{cite web |title=''Geophilus'' Leach, 1814 |url=https://chilobase.biologia.unipd.it/searches/result_genres/325 |website=ChiloBase 2.0 |access-date=1 February 2022}}</ref>

{{div col|colwidth=20em}} *''Geophilus admarinus'' Chamberlin, 1952 *''Geophilus aenariensis'' Verhoeff, 1942 *''Geophilus aetnensis'' Verhoeff, 1928 *''Geophilus alaskanus'' Cook, 1904 *''Geophilus algarum'' Brölemann, 1909 *''Geophilus alzonis'' Attems, 1952 *''Geophilus ampyx'' Crabill, 1954 *''Geophilus angustatus'' Eschscholtz, 1823 *''Geophilus anonyx'' Chamberlin, 1941 *''Geophilus arenarius'' Meinert, 1870 *''Geophilus atopodon'' Chamberlin, 1903 *''Geophilus aztecus'' Humbert and Saussure, 1869 *''Geophilus becki'' Chamberlin, 1951 *''Geophilus bipartitus'' Takakuwa, 1937 *''Geophilus bluncki'' Verhoeff, 1928 *''Geophilus bobolianus'' Verhoeff, 1928 *''Geophilus bosniensis'' Verhoeff, 1895 *''Geophilus brevicornis'' Wood, 1862 *''Geophilus brunneus'' McNeill, 1887 *''Geophilus carpophagus'' Leach, 1814 *''Geophilus caucasicus'' Sseliwanoff, 1884 *''Geophilus cayugae'' Chamberlin, 1904 *''Geophilus chalandei'' Brölemann, 1909 *''Geophilus challangeri'' Pocock, 1891 *''Geophilus claremontus'' Chamberlin, 1909 *''Geophilus compactus'' Attems, 1934 *''Geophilus crenulatus'' Silvestri, 1936 *''Geophilus delotus'' Chamberlin, 1941 *''Geophilus dentatus'' Takakuwa, 1936 *''Geophilus duponti'' Silvestri, 1897 *''Geophilus easoni'' Arthur et al. 2001 *''Geophilus elazigus'' Chamberlin, 1952 *''Geophilus electricus'' Linne,1758 *''Geophilus embius'' Chamberlin, 1912 *''Geophilus erzurumensis'' Chamberlin, 1952 *''Geophilus eudontus'' Chamberlin, 1952 *''Geophilus flavus'' De Geer, 1778 *''Geophilus fossularum'' Verhoeff, 1943 *''Geophilus fossuliferus'' Karsch, 1884 *''Geophilus foveatus'' McNeill, 1887 *''Geophilus frigidanus'' Verhoeff, 1928 *''Geophilus fruitanus'' Chamberlin, 1928 *''Geophilus fucorum'' Brölemann, 1900 *''Geophilus gavoyi'' Chalande, 1910 *''Geophilus geronimo'' Chamberlin, 1912 *''Geophilus gigas'' Attems, 1951 *''Geophilus glaber'' Bollman, 1887 *''Geophilus glyptus'' Chamberlin, 1902 *''Geophilus gracilis'' Meinert, 1870 *''Geophilus guanophilus'' Verhoeff, 1939 *''Geophilus hadesi'' Stoev et al. 2015 *''Geophilus honozus'' Chamberlin, 1952 *''Geophilus ibericus'' Attems, 1952 *''Geophilus impressus'' C.L. Koch, 1847 *''Geophilus indianae'' McNeill, 1887 *''Geophilus infossulatus'' Attems, 1901 *''Geophilus intermissus'' Silvestri, 1935 *''Geophilus joyeuxi'' Léger and Duboscq, 1903 *''Geophilus judaicus'' Verhoeff, 1934 *''Geophilus kobelti'' Attems, 1903 *''Geophilus koreanus'' Takakuwa, 1936 *''Geophilus labrofissus'' Verhoeff, 1938 *''Geophilus lanius'' Brölemann, 1896 *''Geophilus leionyx'' Chamberlin, 1938 *''Geophilus lemuricus'' Verhoeff, 1939 *''Geophilus longicapillatus'' Verhoeff, 1937 *''Geophilus madeirae'' Latzel, 1895 *''Geophilus marginatus'' Lucas, 1849 *''Geophilus minimus'' Verhoeff, 1928 *''Geophilus monoporus'' Takakuwa, 1934 *''Geophilus mordax'' Meinert, 1886 *''Geophilus multiporus'' Miyosi, 1955 *''Geophilus mustiquensis'' Pocock, 1893 *''Geophilus nanus'' Attems, 1952 *''Geophilus nasintus'' Chamberlin, 1909 *''Geophilus naxius'' Verhoeff, 1901 *''Geophilus nealotus'' Chamberlin, 1902 *''Geophilus nesiotes'' Attems, 1903 *''Geophilus nicolanus'' Chamberlin, 1940 *''Geophilus occidentalis'' Linnaeus, 1758 *''Geophilus okolonae'' Bollman, 1888 *''Geophilus oligopus'' Attems, 1895 *''Geophilus orae'' Verhoeff, 1943 *''Geophilus oregonus'' Chamberlin, 1941 *''Geophilus orientalis'' Seliwanoff, 1881 *''Geophilus orientis'' Chamberlin, 1952 *''Geophilus osquidatum'' Brölemann, 1909 *''Geophilus oweni'' Brölemann, 1887 *''Geophilus parki'' Auerbach, 1954 *''Geophilus pauciporus'' Machado, 1952 *''Geophilus pellekanus'' Attems, 1903 *''Geophilus persephones'' Foddai & Minelli, 1999 *''Geophilus phanus'' Chamberlin, 1943 *''Geophilus piae'' Minelli, 1983 *''Geophilus piedus'' Chamberlin, 1930 *''Geophilus pinivagus'' Verhoeff, 1928 *''Geophilus polyporus'' Takakuwa, 1942 *''Geophilus procerus'' C. L. Koch, 1878 *''Geophilus promontorii'' Verhoeff, 1928 *''Geophilus proximus'' C.L.Koch, 1847 *''Geophilus punicus'' Silvestri, 1896 *''Geophilus pusillifrater'' Verhoeff, 1898 *''Geophilus pusillus'' Meinert, 1870 *''Geophilus pygmaeus'' Latzel, 1880 *''Geophilus pyrenaicus'' Chalande, 1909 *''Geophilus readae'' Jones, 2001 *''Geophilus regnans'' Chamberlin, 1904 *''Geophilus rex'' Chamberlin, 1912 *''Geophilus rhomboideus'' Takakuwa, 1937 *''Geophilus ribauti'' Brölemann, 1908 *''Geophilus richardi'' Brölemann, 1904 *''Geophilus ridleyi'' Pocock, 1890 *''Geophilus rouncei'' Jones, 2001 *''Geophilus secundus'' Chamberlin, 1912 *''Geophilus serbicus'' Stojanović, Mitić, Antić, 2019 *''Geophilus setiger'' Bollman, 1887 *''Geophilus seurati'' Brölemann, 1924 *''Geophilus shoshoneus'' Chamberlin, 1925 *''Geophilus sibiricus'' Stuxberg, 1876 *''Geophilus silesiacus'' Haase, 1881 *''Geophilus simoporus'' Chamberlin, 1952 *''Geophilus smithi'' Bollman, 1889 *''Geophilus sounkyoensis'' Takakuwa, 1937 *''Geophilus strictus'' Latzel, 1880 *''Geophilus strigosus'' McNeill, 1887 *''Geophilus studeri'' Rothenbühler, 1899 *''Geophilus tampophor'' Chamberlin, 1953 *''Geophilus tenellus'' L. Koch, 1882 *''Geophilus tenuiculus'' C. L. Koch, 1878 *''Geophilus terranovae'' Palmén, 1954 *''Geophilus transitus'' Chamberlin, 1941 *''Geophilus trichopus'' Muralewicz, 1926 *''Geophilus truncorum'' Bergsøe and Meinert, 1866 *''Geophilus ungviculatus'' Daday, 1889 *''Geophilus varians'' McNeill, 1887 *''Geophilus venezuelae'' Silvestri, 1897 *''Geophilus vinciguerrae'' Silvestri, 1895 *''Geophilus virginiensis'' Bollman, 1889 *''Geophilus vittatus'' Raffinesque, 1820 *''Geophilus winnetui'' Attems, 1947 *''Geophilus yavapainus'' Chamberlin, 1941 {{div col end}}

==References== {{reflist}}

Category:Centipede genera Category:Geophilus Category:Taxa named by William Elford Leach