Geophilus pygmaeus (Chilopoda: Geophilidae): clarifying morphology, variation and geographic distribution.

The European centipede Geophilus pygmaeus (Chilopoda: Geophilidae) has been known since 1880. It has been repeatedly reported since then and its validity has never been questioned. Nevertheless, a complete description of the species and an unambiguous diagnosis are still lacking. Based on the examination of one of the syntypes and > 110 specimens from 28 other localities, we provide here a full description and illustration of the morphology of G. pygmaeus and a revised and updated overview of the geographic range of the species. G. pygmaeus is less than 2 cm long, has 41-47 pairs of legs and differs from all other European species of Geophilus in a combination of characters including the shape of the forcipular apparatus and a unique arrangement of the coxal pores. G. pygmaeus is distributed through the Southern Limestone Alps, between the Bergamasque Prealps in the West and the Slovene Prealps in the East, and in the northernmost Dinarides. Published records from other European areas are actually erroneous or uncertain.