Tasmanopeltis, Mesibov, 2005

Mesibov, Robert, 2005, The millipede genus Lissodesmus Chamberlin, 1920 (Diplopoda: Polydesmida: Dalodesmidae) from Tasmania and Victoria, with descriptions of a new genus and 24 new species, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 62 (2), pp. 103-146 : 123

Tasmanopeltis gen. nov.

Type species. Tasmanopeltis grandis , by present designation.

Diagnosis. Larger dalodesmids (30–35 mm long, 3.3 mm vertical diameter in type species) with head + 20 segments, normal pore formula, well-developed paranota with long posterior corner seta, hair-like structures arising from spiracles, spiracles on diplosegments juxtaposed over anterior leg. Telopodite straight, with small mesal solenomere and tibiotarsus, small lateral femoral process and large central prefemoral process. All processes arising at more than half the telopodite height; solenomere arising at almost two-thirds the telopodite height. Prefemoral process tip divided subapically into erect lateral branch with comb of long, mainly posterobasally directed teeth, and shorter, erect mesal branch with short, blunt, distally directed teeth.

Distribution. As for T. grandis sp. nov.

Etymology. A variation of Australopeltis Johns, 1964 , which Johns probably derived from Latin pelta (“shield”); masculine.

Remarks. Tasmanopeltis is distinguished from Lissodesmus by its unusually large size (nearly two and a half times the calculated body volume of the next largest species, L. montanus , and more than 10 times that of the type, L. modestus ); spiracles close together and with hair-like structures; process origins more than halfway along the telopodite; and a large, distal projection on the prefemoral process, mesal to the latter’s comb-like tip.