Tasmanian Thipsels

A research blog

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M1 gone, left no forwarding address

M1 is a rare thipsel so far found at only 3 sites in the Northwest (see map).

I found 1 male in 1991 in mixed forest near the Little Rapid River, Kevin Bonham found 2 males in 1999 in rainforest near West Takone, and Wade and Lisa Clarkson found 3 males in 2008 in cut-over rainforest near Philosopher Falls SW of Waratah.

The gonopod is strikingly "sculptural" and I'm keen to get another male for gonopod imaging. Today I spent 2 hours searching at the 2008 Clarkson site, without success.

That 2008 site has changed dramatically in the past 20-25 years. I remember it in the 2000's as open and scrubby with ferns. Today the site is deeply shaded by tall, very dense Nothofagus regrowth, and the ground is covered by fallen branches, squishy rotting logs and moss and liverwort carpets. The only adult millipedes I saw in the gloom were Amastigogonus verreauxii, Equestrigonus tasmaniensis and Lissodesmus perporosus. Thipsel-size tinies were all juvenile L. perporosus.

I might try West Takone next.

2026-10-15