Geophilidae

Geophilus sp. mother and brood.

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. Species in this family are characterized by mandibles with a single pectinate lamella, slender antennae, sternal pores with variable arrangement, a generally slightly or moderately elongate head, frequently undivided coxosternite with two paramedian sclerotized lines, claws without rows of filament, and female gonopods usually being an undivided lamina. Compared to most other families in the suborder Adesmata, this family features a modest number of leg-bearing segments and limited variation in this number within each species. Two species in this family include centipedes with only 29 pairs of legs: Geophilus persephones (29 pairs in the only specimen, a male), and G. richardi (29 or 31 pairs in the males and 33 pairs in the females). In the order Geophilomorpha, only two species include centipedes with fewer leg pairs, both of them in the family Schendylidae. This family contains these genera:

Abatorus Acanthogeophilus Achilophilus Agathothus Agnathodon Algerophilus Alloschizotaenia Aphilodon Apogeophilus Arctogeophilus Arenophilus Aztekophilus Barrophilus Bebekium Bithyniphilus Brachygeophilus Brachygonarea Caliphilus Cephalodolichus Cheiletha Chileana Chilenophilus Chomatophilus Clinopodes Condylona Damothus Dekanphilus Dignathodon Diphyonyx Dyodesmophilus Dysmesus Ecuadoron Endogeophilus Eremerium Eremorus Erithophilus Eurygeophilus Fagetophilus Filipponus Galliophilus Garrina Geomerinus Geoperingueyia Geophilus Gnathoribautia Gosipina Hapleurytion Harmostela Harpacticellus Henia Horonia Hovanyx Hyphydrophilus Ketampa Kurdistanius Lionyx Macronicophilus Maoriella Mecistauchenus Mecophilus Mixophilus Nabocodes Nannocrix Navajona Nesidiphilus Nesomerium Nicopus Nothogeophilus Oligna Orinomerium Ortognathus Pachymerellus Pachymerinus Pachymerium Pagotaenia Pandineum Peruphilus Philacroterium Plestophilus Plateurytion Pleurogeophilus Poaphilus Polycricus Polygonarea Porethus Portoricellus Portoricona Proschizotaenia Pseudofagetophilus Purcellinus Pycnona Queenslandophilus Ribautia Schendyloides Schizonampa Schizonium Schizopleres Schizotaenia Sepedonophilus Serrona Sogona Steneurytion Stenotaenia Strigamia Stylolaemus Sundageophilus Synerium Synthophilus Taiyuna Taschkentia Telocricus Timpina Tretechthus Tuoba Tylonyx Watophilus Zantaenia Zygona Zygophilus