Polydesmus asthenestatus Pocock, 1894
Status:
GB IUCN status: Not applicable (non-native)
ID Difficulty
4
Identification
This small flat-back millipede (c. 8.5-10 mm in body length) can be easily confused with Brachydesmus superus or other Polydesmus species (notably the recently discovered P. taranus, a slightly larger species) and identification is best undertaken by examination of male gonopods.
It is described and figured by Anderson (2015) and the male gonopod also figured in Gregory (2023).
Distribution and Habitat
First discovered in Co. Down, Northern Ireland, in 2008 by Roy Anderson (2015) and subsequently in Co. Antrim. Here it has proved to be widely established mainly in 'disturbed woodland'.
In Britain P. asthenestatus was first recorded in a cave in Cornwall in 2020 (Knight, 2021) and an ornamental garden in Cornwall in 2021 (Gregory, 2023). Subsequently (in 2023) it has been recorded from the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man and south Wales. It is likely to be found at additional sites.
Adults can be found in the winter months.
At the Cornish and Isle of Wight sites it was found associated with the recently discovered Polydesmus taranus.
References
Anderson, R. (2015) The establishment of an Italian flat-back millipede Polydesmus asthenestatus Pocock, 1894 (Diplopoda: Polydesmidae) in Ireland. Bulletin of the British Myriapod & Isopod Group 28: 38-43.
Links
MilliBase - Global catalogue of Millipedes: https://millibase.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=938124
BRC code
239
idBmigTaxa
52