Craterostigmus tasmanianus Pocock, 1902

(Order Craterostigmomorpha, family Craterostigmidae)

Craterostigmus tasmanianus was first collected on Mt Rumney in the early 1890s. It is remarkable for being one of only two named species in its order. The very similar C. crabilli occurs in New Zealand (Edgecombe & Giribet 2008). Tasmanian specimens are typically greenish-brown with a red-brown head. Look for the 'ano-genital purse' between the last legs (below right, arrow) and the forward-projections of the maxillipede coxosternite (below left) to confirm your identification. Adults are generally ca. 50 mm long, but larger individuals are in Tasmanian collections.

Arguments have continued for many years about how Craterostigmus is related to other centipedes. Most centipede specialists now accept the classification used here. Because Craterostigmus is such an unusual centipede, a great deal of research has been done on its anatomy and physiology (see references below). General information on its life history and ecology is summarised in Mesibov (1995).

C. tasmanianus is widespread in Tasmania but has not been found on any of the Bass Strait islands. It ranges from sea level to at least 1300 m. In the drier parts of the State it is restricted to permanently moist sites, such as creekline forest and scrub. Elsewhere C. tasmanianus is found in a wide variety of forest and scrub habitats, but it does not seem to occur in moorland, grassland or heath at lower elevations. It can be very abundant in western rainforest on fertile soils.

Localities for Craterostigmus tasmanianus. The southern offshore records are for DeWitt and Maatsuyker Islands.  Scale bar = 100 km.
For an interactive map with more up-to-date localities, go to the mapper page.

More information:
 
Taxonomy - Pocock (1902), Edgecombe & Giribet (2008)
Biology - Manton (1965), Prunescu (1965), Lewis (1981), Mesibov (1986), Dohle (1990), Mesibov (1995), Borucki (1996), Carcupino et al. (1996), Prunescu et al. (1996), Borucki & Rosenberg (1997), Hilken (1997), Colgan et al. (1998), Hilken (1998), Edgecombe et al. (1999), Giribet et al. (1999), Regier & Shultz (2001), Ernst et al. (2002), Wirkner & Pass (2002), Ernst and Rosenberg (2003), Edgecombe & Giribet (2003b), Edgecombe (2004c), Ernst et al. (2006), Regier et al. (2005), Müller & Meyer-Rochow (2006), Prunescu & Prunescu (2006), Rosenberg et al. (2006)
Distribution, conservation and general - Archey (1917), Eberhard et al. (1991), Mesibov (1995), Edgecombe (2001a)