Hades is an animal being described as a "centipede from hell." The species was found living far underground in a deep network of caves in Croatia.
Geophilus hadesi, like other centipedes, lives by hunting smaller invertebrates, including spiders, worms, and the larvae of other animals. These centipedes are members of a group called geophilomorphs, which usually only take occasional refuge in caves. Named after a mythological god of the underworld, G. hadesi are one of the only two varieties of geophilomorphs known to live out their entire life cycles in caves. The other species which does this is named after Persephone, a mythological queen of the underworld.
The animals were found living in three caves, up to 3,600 feet beneath the surface of the Earth in Coatia, by members of the Croatian Biospeleological Society. This is the deepest any centipede has ever been seen making its home.
These centipedes have long curved claws, capable of grasping onto prey, and powerful jaws equipped with poison for dispatching their catch. Their bodies are composed of several segments, and appendages are covered in furlike body hair called setae. The creatures also feature long antennae, which along with the setae, help the animals find their prey in the dark subterranean conditions in which they live.
"When I first saw the animal and its striking appearance, I immediately realized that this is a new, hitherto unnamed and highly adapted to cave environment species. This finding comes to prove once again how little we know about the life in caves, where even in the best prospected areas, one can still find incredible animals," Pavel Stoev, lead author of a study on the newly discovered creatures, said.
The cave-dwelling species was discovered under Velebit, a massive mountain that stretches over 90 miles in the Dinaric Karst. This region contains the Lukina jama - Trojama cave system, which runs to 4,700 feet beneath the ground and is the 15th deepest cave in the world. Biologists have yet to identify many of the other bizarre species living in the extreme subterranean environment. The deep caves, shooting vertically into the ground, have proven to be a rich ground for biologists looking to discover new species. The area has produced a steady stream of new discoveries in biology since investigators first began to search the region.
Geophilus persephones was first discovered in a cave in France during the 1990s.
Although the bite of the Geophilus hadesi is poisonous, researchers believe the animals are harmless to human beings.
The study of G. hadesi was published in the journal ZooKeys.
