Tasmanodesmus hardyi Chamberlin, 1920

(Order Polydesmida, family Dalodesmidae)

T. hardyi resembles the Northeast regional endemic Tasmanopeltis grandis, but the ranges of these two H+20 dalodesmids overlap only slightly (Mesibov 1997a) near Mt Barrow. Both species are purplish-brown with prominent paranota and long, thin legs. T. hardyi lacks the long paranotal seta found in the Lissodesmus group and is distinctly smaller than 'NE1', rarely exceeding 20 mm in length.

In his original description of T. hardyi, Chamberlin (1920) did not illustrate the gonopod (see drawing, above right: right gonopod, head to right), and for many years the identity of this species was in doubt. It has now been redescribed (Mesibov 2004c). T. hardyi is closely related to certain Victorian and New Zealand dalodesmid species. It was first collected by G.H. Hardy ca. 1915, but the type locality within Tasmania is unknown.

Although widespread and common in eastern Tasmania, T. hardyi is largely absent from the Northeast. Its western limit coincides with the biogeographical divide known as Tyler's Line. It occurs in a wide range of forest types, and generally shelters under logs and in the upper layers of forest litter. On the Central Plateau T. hardyi is found up to at least 1120 m.

Localities for T. hardyi. Scale bar = 100 km.
For an interactive map with more up-to-date localities, go to the mapper page.

More information:
 
Taxonomy - Chamberlin (1920), Mesibov (2004c)
Distribution, conservation and general - Eberhard et al. (1991) [as 'Pseudoprionopeltis hardyi'], Mesibov et al. (1995), Mesibov (1997a), Mesibov (1999), Bonham et al. (2002)