Guernsey Wildlife &

Nature Photography


Millipedes of Guernsey


Millipedes are included under the Myriapods which as might be expected includes the Centipedes as well as Symphylas and Pauropods, the latter two being very difficult to identify with confidence due to a lack of material.


Guernsey has quite a selection of Millipedes with some continental influence as will be set out below. The climate in Guernsey also appears to allow some species to thrive outside where in more northern climes they are restricted to heated greenhouses and similar environments.


I originally intended to include all centipedes and millipedes on the same page, but as I started to input data, I realsed there were more species than I remembered so have since decided to split the pages to Millipedes and Centipedes.


Millipedes are not generally easy to identify to species level though of course there are some exceptions of species which can be identified with a glance. A draft ket is in production which along with expert assistance has helped to identify most of the millipedes here.


The current Guernsey lists consist of the following species:


Millipedes (Diplopoda):

  • Polyxenus lagurus
  • Chordeuma proximum
  • Melagona gallica (no photo – not found it myself)
  • Nanogyna polydesmoides (Alderney only so far)
  • Brachydesmus superus
  • Polydesmus angustus
  • Polydesmus coriaceus (no photo – not found it myself)
  • Polydesmus inconstans
  • Polydesmus taranus
  • Brachydesmus superus
  • Ophiodesmus albonanus
  • Oxidus gracilis
  • Blaniulus guttulatus
  • Proteroiulus fuscus (no photo – not found it myself)
  • Chonieulus palmatus
  • Thalassisobates littoralis
  • Leptoiulus belgicus
  • Cylindroiulus latestriatus (no photo – not found it myself)
  • Cylindroiulus punctatus
  • Ophyiulus germanicus
  • Ophyiulus pilosus
  • Brachyiulus bagnalli
  • Brachyiulus pusillus (no photo – not found it myself)
  • Ommatoiulus sabulosus


 I have added photographs below of the species I have found, a few of the species recorded in Guernsey in the past continue to evade me but I will add my own photographs when I manage to locate a specimen for photography.


Polyxenus lagurus

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Chordeuma proximum

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Nanogyna polydesmoides

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Brachydesmus superus

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Polydesmus angustus

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Polydesmus inconstans

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Polydesmus taranus

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Ophiodesmus albonanus

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Oxidus gracilis

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Blaniulus guttulatus

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Chonieulus palmatus

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Thalassisobates littoralis

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Leptoiulus belgicus

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Cylindroiulus punctatus

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Ophyiulus germanicus

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Ophyiulus pilosus

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Brachyiulus bagnalli 

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Ommatoiulus sabulosus

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