Researchers have discovered a new genus and five new species of millipedes in a remote African forest, and they say the multi-legged creatures may hold important clues about whether woody vines are choking or protecting the world’s forests.

University of the Sunshine Coast Professor Andy Marshall said they found centipedes – with heads resembling Star Wars characters – among the forest floor and loose soil while examining tree and vine growth in Tanzania’s remote Uzungwa Mountains.

A new genus and species were recently officially described. European Journal of Taxonomy In a paper titled “Mount Cipeta” with six international collaborators, including lead author Professor Henrik Enghoff from the University of Copenhagen.

“Centipedes will help us resolve two very different theories about the role of vines in reforestation; whether vines are like bandages protecting a wound or ‘parasitoids’ that stifle the forest,” Professor Marshall said.

“During our field work, we recorded centipedes of all sizes to measure forest recovery, as they are excellent indicators of forest health, but we did not realize the importance of these species until we evaluated our multistory samples.

“It’s surprising that most of these new species did not appear in previous centipede populations in the same area, but we were still hoping for something new.”

The project, funded by the Australian Research Council, aims to understand the recovery of global forests after severe disturbances. The latest findings, part of a global research collaboration, suggest that warmer temperatures are a key factor in woody vines taking over forests already damaged by logging and other impacts.

The largest African centipedes, known for their many legs, can grow up to 35 centimeters. Professor Marshall, from the UniSC Forestry Research Institute, said that although the centipedes they found were only a few centimeters long, they each had around 200 legs.

This isn’t the first time Professor Marshall has been thrilled to discover new species during his research, including a new chameleon and new tree species currently in danger of extinction. He said the discovery of a new genus and species of centipede highlights the large number of discoveries remaining in the rainforest.

Professor Enghoff and his team named one of the new species Lophostreptus magombera In honor of the Magombera Nature Reserve, a biologically unique forest that Professor Marshall has been trying to protect since the turn of the millennium. Centipede specimens are now in the Danish Natural History Museum at the University of Copenhagen.

A new breed — Udzungwastreptus. Five new species: Lophostreptus magombera; Attemsostreptus cataractae; Attemsostreptus leptoptilos; Attemsostreptus julostriatus and Udzungwastreptus marianae.