Polydesmida: (suborder Dalodesmidea, family uncertain): Asphalidesmus

Asphalidesmus leae Silvestri, 1910

Asphalidesmus species are tiny H+19 polydesmidans found from the Wet Tropics in Queensland to far southern Tasmania. The three Tasmanian Asphalidesmus species are endemic. Adults are 5-7 mm long, yellow-brown and very slow-moving. Small aggregations of Asphalidesmus adults can be found in wet rotting wood and accumulations of leaf litter, together with the all-white juveniles. Asphalidesmus leae has been found to secrete β-nitrostyrene and benzaldehyde for defense.

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Asphalidesmus golovatchi Mesibov, 2009

Adults of A. golovatchi are easily recognised by the raised ridges on the millipede's back, but these are missing in juveniles and in some cave populations. A. golovatchi can also be separated from the co-occurring A. parvus by checking the shape of the paranota: long and narrow in A. golovatchi, short and rounded in A. parvus. To be certain of species identification, examine the gonopods of mature males.

A. golovatchi: lateral view (left) and midbody cross-section (right) showing dorsal ridges

 

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Asphalidesmus leae Silvestri, 1910

The Hobart record (see map) is for the type and is almost certainly wrong. Arthur Lea sent the specimen to Filippo Silvestri from Hobart, but probably collected it in the north of the State.

 

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Asphalidesmus parvus (Chamberlin, 1920)

 

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