Hirudo marginata, (Muller, 1774)

Šatkauskienė, Ingrida & Rutkauskaitė-Sucilienė, Jurgita, 2022, The present state of the leech fauna (Annelida: Hirudinea) in Lithuania, Zootaxa 5115 (1), pp. 47-62 : 51

Hemiclepsis marginata ( Müller, 1774)

( Figure 2C )

Material examined. Raseika (Nr. 1) n=2, 9.viii.2019; Išlaužas (Nr. 5), n=1, 21.viii.2018; Klibiai (Nr. 7), n=3, 4.vii.2018; Grūšlaukė (Nr. 9), n=1, vii.2019; Tūbinė (Nr. 10), n=2, 15.vii.2018. Viešvilė (Nr. 12), n=1, 10.vi.2019; Šventoji (Nr. 20), n=1, 7.viii.2018; Siesartis (Nr. 23), n=2, 8.viii.2019;Akmena (Nr. 26), n=1, 2.ix.2019; Lampėdžiai (Nr. 37), n=1, 11.ix.2019.

Diagnosis. Body flat, leaf–shape. 20–30 mm length, and 3–4 mm width. Ventral surface pale, spotted with small dark dots, framed by colorful edge of body. Dorsal surface is mottled with greenish, yellow, and black dots. Dense punctured brown lines produce background of brown color. Four rows of light papillae and dark greenish dotted line continue in back side. Edges of body are streaked by alternating yellowish and brown colors. Oral sucker is leaf shape, clearly distinguishing from the body ( Fig. 2C ). The posterior sucker is round and well developed. H. marginata has two pairs of eyespots, anterior pair is smaller than posterior.

Habitat. Hemiclepsis marginata is common in shallow margins of lakes and ponds overgrown by vegetation. Submerged plants and tree branches were a prevalent microhabitat of these leeches.

Distribution. Palearctic species, common in Lithuania. During this study, the species was found in various regions of the country ( Table 1 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Freshwater leeches in Lithuania: ventral view of Alboglossiphonia heteroclita specimen with eggs (A) and dorsal view of the head region (B). Dorsal view of the head region of Hemiclepsis marginata (C). Dorsal view of Placobdella costata whole specimen (D). Dorsal view of Glossiphonia complanata whole specimen (E) and dorsal view of the head (F).