Lissodesmus species are distinguished by the structure of the male gonopods. In the guide below, I show for most species a posterior SEM view of the gonopods and a mesal view of the right gonopod (i.e., as seen from the body midline). For L. alisonae, L. cognatus and L. plomleyi I also give a lateral view of the right gonopod, and for L. latus an anterior view.
 
It helps to start by looking at the paranota, which can be wide or reduced (see images below), and with the posteror corners level (top SEM at right) or turned up (middle SEM at right).
 
Two species which can be recognised easily are L. cornutus, in which the paranotal corners are turned up as "horns" (bottom SEM at right), and L. perporosus, which has ozopores on segments 5, 7 and 9-19 (the usual distribution is 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15-19). You can also use the maps to eliminate possibilities.

Wide paranota (left) of L. latus and reduced paranota (right) of L. hamatus.

Lissodesmus adrianae Jeekel, 1984

Males ca. 18 mm long, typically chestnut brown, paranota slightly reduced, corners level. Very common in dry and wet eucalypt forest and rainforest over ca. 3500 km² in northeast Tasmania, from ca. 60 m to at least 1050 m. First collected by C.A.W. Jeekel in 1980. See Lissodesmus introduction for image of live animal.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus alisonae Jeekel, 1984

Males ca. 18 mm long, typically pale brown with reddish segment margins, paranota reduced, corners turned up. Very common in dry and wet eucalypt forest and rainforest over ca. 6000 km² in north central Tasmania, from sea level to at least 1000 m. First collected by C.A.W. Jeekel in 1980.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus anas Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 16 mm long, very pale brown, paranota reduced, corners strongly turned up. Uncommon in coastal heathland, wet eucalypt forest and rainforest over ca. 1300 km² in northwest Tasmania, from sea level to at least 450 m. First collected in 1990; formerly code-named 'sp. NW2'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus bashfordi Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 15 mm long, very pale brown with reddish segment margins, paranota wide, corners level. Uncommon in wet eucalypt forest in southeast Tasmania. First collected in 1992; formerly code-named 'sp. SE1'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus clivulus Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 17 mm long, light brown, paranota somewhat reduced, corners level. Common in coastal heathland, coastal woodland and tea-tree forest over ca. 300 km² in the coastal part of the northern West Coast, from sea level to at least 400 m. First collected in 1981; formerly code-named 'sp. NW3'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus cognatus Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 14 mm long, off-white to very pale brown, paranota reduced, corners turned up. Uncommon in dry and wet eucalypt forest in two areas ca. 35 km apart in northeast Tasmania, near Mt Barrow and near Tower Hill; to at least 720 m. First collected in 1992; formerly code-named 'sp. NE3'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus cornutus Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 17 mm long, off-white, paranota reduced, corners curled up into "horns" (top of page). Fairly common in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest over ca. 5000 km² in southwest Tasmania, from sea level to at least 600 m. First collected in 1976; formerly code-named 'sp. SW1'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus devexus Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 12 mm long, pale brown, paranota reduced, corners turned up. Gonopod somewhat variable but always with downturned tibiotarsus (t in image). Locally abundant in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest over ca. 3000 km² in north central and northeast Tasmania, from near sea level to at least 900 m. Populations around Liena and Mt Roland appear to be disjunct. First collected in 1988; formerly code-named 'sp. NE2'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus hamatus Mesibov, 2006

Males 15-20 mm long (smaller in drier habitats), pale brown with light red speckling, paranota reduced (see top of page), corners turned up. Common in dry and wet eucalypt forest over ca. 16,000 km² in eastern Tasmania, from sea level to at least 1070 m. First collected in 1977; formerly code-named 'sp. E1'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus horridomontis Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 13 mm long, off-white, paranota reduced, corners slightly turned up. Note curve in terminal "comb" on gonopod (SEM at right). Locally abundant in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest over ca. 150 km² in northeast Tasmania, from 80 m to at least 650 m. First collected in 1992; formerly code-named 'sp. NE5'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus inopinatus Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 17 mm long, pale brown with light red patches, paranota reduced, corners turned up. Uncommon in dry and wet eucalypt forest over ca. 1000 km² in the Eastern Tiers. First collected in 1988; formerly code-named 'sp. E2' and 'sp. E3'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus latus Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 20 mm long, paranota very wide, corners level; uniformly pale to chestnut brown near the coast, off-white with transverse purple banding inland (see top of page). Note curved C-shape of femoral process (f) on gonopod, compared to straight L-shape in L. perporosus. Fairly common in all forest and scrub habitats over ca. 13,000 km² in northwest and western Tasmania, from near sea level to at least 950 m. First collected in 1978; formerly code-named 'sp. NW1'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus modestus Chamberlin, 1920

Males ca. 16 mm long, pale brown with red speckling, paranota wide, corners level and slightly turned out. Variably common in wet eucalypt forest and rainforest over ca. 4500 km² in southeast Tasmania, from sea level to at least 1070 m. First collected by G.H. Hardy in 1915.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus montanus Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 23 mm long, light reddish-brown, paranota wide, corners level. Known from four localities over ca. 500 km² in central western Tasmania, from 650 to 1250 m. First collected in 1987; formerly code-named 'sp. SW2'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus orarius Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 17 mm long, uniformly light brown, paranota somewhat reduced, corners level. Locally abundant in coastal habitats (down to the high tide line) between the Pedder and Pieman Rivers on the northern part of the West Coast. First collected in 1991; formerly code-named 'sp. NW4'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus peninsulensis Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 16 mm long, light brown, paranota wide, corners level. Uncommon in wet eucalypt forest on Tasman and Forestier Peninsulas in southeast Tasmania, to at least 250 m. First collected in 1977; formerly code-named 'sp. P1'.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus perporosus Jeekel, 1984

Males ca. 18 mm long, light brown with reddish-purple transverse banding (see Lissodesmus introduction page for image), paranota wide, corners level, pore formula unusual (see top of page). Probably the most abundant Tasmanian Lissodesmus; common in all forest and scrub habitats over ca. 20,000 km² in northwest Tasmania, from sea level to at least 1150 m. First collected in 1973.
 
Distribution map

Lissodesmus plomleyi Mesibov, 2006

Males ca. 11 mm long, pale brown, paranota reduced, corners level. Rare; known from three localities above 600 m in northeast Tasmania. First collected in 1990; formerly code-named 'sp. NE4'.
 
Distribution map