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Order Chordeumatida: Introduction and identification
The Chordeumatida are the best-known of the Tasmanian millipedes, in the sense that a high proportion of the recognised species has been formally described (11 out of 13). That doesn't mean that we know a lot about their biology! Tasmanian chordeumatidans are small, inconspicuous millipedes living mainly in forest litter, and are often first detected in an area when the catches from pitfall traps are examined. There is a good chance that there are a few more, as-yet-undiscovered species in various places around the State, notably the far south and the Bass Strait islands.
To positively identify a chordeumatidan to species you need to dissect out the very tiny gonopods of a mature male and examine them under high magnification. Most users of this guide will not be equipped to do this, so the key below only recognises the most easily separable taxa. (Advanced users can confirm identifications with the gonopods page.) Although females and juveniles cannot be positively identified, tentative identifications are often possible based on general appearance of the specimen and an accurate location for the spot where it was collected.
Key to species:
1a. Prominent lateral extensions (paranota) on body segments ('p' in dorsal view on right)
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1b. Paranota inconspicuous
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2a. Body gray; paranota usually pale white or pinkish
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2b. Body pale yellow, with or without dark brown patterning
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3a. Body pale yellow (sometimes with dark brown patterning); paranota extending straight out from sides; the 6 dorsal setae on each segment long and obvious
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3b. Body pale yellow with dark brown patterning; paranota deflected downwards at about 45° from the horizontal; dorsal setae inconspicuous
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4a. Very pale in colour, with or without darker bands running around the whole of each segment (as pictured right)
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4b. Light to dark brown in colour, often with darker patches
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5a. Adult more than 15 mm long; the most lateral segmental seta on prominent, light-coloured knob; legs pale with darker banding
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5b. Adult less than 10 mm long; the most lateral seta not on prominent, light-coloured knob; legs not banded
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6a. Usually light brown with mid-dorsal band of darker brown; the most lateral seta on each segment curved slightly upwards
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6b. Usually light brown with mid-dorsal line of darker dots; the most lateral seta on each segment curved downwards
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