''Geophilus arenarius'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

soil centipede Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , "foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an a ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Geophilidae 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 ...

found in northwest Africa, specifically near

Annaba, Algeria Annaba ( ar, عنّابة, "Place of the Jujubes"; ber, Aânavaen), formerly known as Bon, Bona and Bône, is a seaport city in the northeastern corner of Algeria, close to the border with Tunisia. Annaba is near the small Seybouse River ...

. It's frequently misidentified with '' G. electricus'', and as part of the carpophagus species-complex it's closely related to both '' G. carpophagus'' and '' G. easoni'', though it differs mainly by lacking a transverse suture on the head and peculiar integumental features (carpophagus-structures) along the trunk, as well as having relatively stouter antennae and forcipular coxosternite. ''G. arenarius'' is distinctly smaller at full growth than ''G. carpophagus'', with usually blunter and more

sclerotised Sclerotin is a component of the cuticle of various Arthropoda, most familiarly insects. It is formed by cross-linking members of particular classes of protein molecules, a biochemical process called sclerotization, a form of tanning in which qui ...

tubercles lining the intermediate part of the labrum and a minute denticle at the basis of the forcipular tarsungula. It has fewer bristles lining the lateral parts of the labrum than ''G. easoni'' as well as a generally higher number of legs and a more greyish coloured trunk.

References

{{Taxonbar, from= Q10504146 arenarius Animals described in 1870 Taxa named by Frederik Vilhelm August Meinert