''Geophilus persephones'' is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae discovered in 1999. This species is named after

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after ...

, the queen of the underworld in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

, and found in caves in the Gouffre de la Pierre Saint-Martin. It has elongated antennae and legs as well as abundant sensory setae, and like other geophilomorhps it lacks sight, has a flattened trunk, and is well adapted to underground life. This species was the first

troglomorphic Troglomorphism is the morphological adaptation of an animal to living in the constant darkness of caves, characterised by features such as loss of pigment, reduced eyesight or blindness, and frequently with attenuated bodies and/or appendages. The ...

geophilomorph ever discovered and one of the only two in existence along with ''

Geophilus hadesi ''Geophilus hadesi'' is a species of soil centipede in the family Geophilidae, named after Hades, king of the underworld in Greek mythology. This species is found in the caves of the Velebit Mountains of Croatia and characterized by relatively el ...

''. Known from a single male specimen, this species has only 29 pairs of legs, one of only two species in the Geophilidae family to have so few leg pairs.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6507161 Geophilomorpha Species described in 1999

See also

References