Mecophilus
Sign in to saveMecophilus 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. The species in this genus are among the smallest centipedes in the order Geophilomorpha, reaching only 8 mm in length. This genus is also notable for featuring the fewest legs (only 33 or 35 pairs) in the subfamily Aphilodontinae. The species in this genus are found in the Atlantic Forest in south and southeastern Brazil.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassChilopoda
- OrderGeophilomorpha
- FamilyAphilodontidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
3 sectionsContents
- Discovery
- Description
- References
Mecophilus 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. The species in this genus are among the smallest centipedes in the order Geophilomorpha, reaching only 8 mm in length. This genus is also notable for featuring the fewest legs (only 33 or 35 pairs) in the subfamily Aphilodontinae. The species in this genus are found in the Atlantic Forest in south and southeastern Brazil.
== Discovery == This genus was created by the Italian entomologist Filippo Silvestri in 1909 to contain the newly discovered type species M. neotropicus. This species is known only from the holotype, found in Foz do Iguaçu in the state of Paraná in Brazil. Although Silvestri described this holotype as a female, this specimen has since proved to be a male upon examination. The holotype is deposited in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria in Genova, Italy.