Geophilus punicus
{{Short description|Species of centipede}}
{{Speciesbox
| taxon = Geophilus punicus
| authority = Silvestri, 1896
| synonyms = *G. flavus var. punicus Silvestri, 1896
- G. flavidus Koch: Verhoeff, 1925a
}}
Geophilus punicus is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae{{cite web |title=ITIS - Report: Geophilus punicus |url=https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=1092621#null |website=Integrated Taxonomic Information System |access-date=16 February 2022}} found in the Western Mediterranean, specifically Italy (Sicily, Sardinia) and North Africa (Tunisia). It's an epigeic species, though its habitat preferences are unknown apart from one record from caves, indicating it may also be a trogloxene.{{cite journal |last1=Zapparoli |first1=Marzio |title=An annotated catalogue of the epigeic and cave centipedes (Chilopoda) of Sardinia |journal=Zootaxa |date=2009 |volume=2318 |issue=1 |pages=56–168 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2318.1.6 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/335139599_An_annotated_catalogue_of_the_epigeic_and_cave_centipedes_Chilopoda_of_Sardinia |access-date=16 February 2022|doi-access=free }} The original description of this species is based on male specimens with 43 pairs of legs.{{Cite journal |last=Silvestri |first=Filippo |date=1896 |title=Una escursione in Tunisia (Symphyla Chilopoda Diplopoda) |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/11574329#page/157/mode/1up |journal=Il Naturalista Siciliano |language=Italian |volume=1 |pages=143-161 [155] |via=Biodiversity Heritage Library}}
Taxonomy
Geophilus punicus was originally described as a subspecies of G. flavus, G. flavus var. punicus, by Silvestri (1896a). It was later raised to species rank by Minelli in the World Catalogue of Centipedes (2006). The name "Geophilus flavidus Koch" published by Verhoeff in 1925 was probably due to a misreading of G. flavus punicus. G. punicus is considered a junior synonym of G. longicornis var. austriacus Latzel, 1880 by Attems (1929 - Das Tierreich, 52: 174), but they actually differ according to the original description.{{cite web |title=Geophilus punicus Silvestri, 1896 |url=https://chilobase.biologia.unipd.it/searches/result_species/3986 |website=ChiloBase 2.0 |access-date=16 February 2022}}
References
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Category:Animals described in 1896
Category:Taxa named by Filippo Silvestri
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