Tasmanopeltis grandis Mesibov, 2006

(Order Polydesmida, family Dalodesmidae)

Formerly code-named 'Lissodesmus sp. NE1', Tasmanopeltis grandis is the largest polydesmidan in Tasmania, with some females reaching 35 mm in length. This species can be confused with Tasmanodesmus hardyi, which like T. grandis is purplish-brown with prominent paranota and long, thin legs. However, T. hardyi lacks the long paranotal seta found in T. grandis and is much smaller, rarely exceeding 20 mm in length. The T. grandis gonopods are unusually long and straight (above, right; scale bar = 1 mm). (For another picture of T. grandis, see the Polydesmida introduction page.)

T. grandis is found in dry and wet eucalypt forest and cool temperate rainforest over c. 3500 km² in northeast Tasmania (see map below), from Mt Dismal in the Tamar Valley east to Ansons River, from Gladstone south to Ben Lomond, and from near sea level to 920 m. Adults are generally found in or under rotting logs. For such a large millipede, T. grandis is remarkably cryptic in its habits, so it is perhaps not surprising that the first known museum specimen was collected as late as 1987 (on Mt Arthur).

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

More information:
 
Taxonomy - Mesibov (2006a)
Distribution, conservation and general - Mesibov (1997a) [as "Lissodesmus sp. NE1"]