New records and species of leeches (Annelida: Hirudinea) from North and South Carolina

Abstract

Summary Twenty freshwater, one euryhaline, one terrestrial, and six marine leeches are now known to occur in the Carolinas. Haemopis septagon, the second terrestrial leech discovered in North America, and five aquatic taxa—Placobdella nuchalis, P. translucens, Mooreobdella melanostoma, M. tetragon, and Erpobdella punctata coastalis—are previously undescribed. Specimens of Placobdella papillifera and P. multilineata, are examined in detail. Four additional species—Batracobdella phalera, B. picta, Helobdella elongata and Haemopis marmorata—have been found in the Carolinas for the first time. The distribution of leeches in the Carolinas is determined in part by the boundaries of the three physiographic provinces. Batracobdella picta, Oligobdella biannulata, and Haemopis marmorata occur only in the Appalachian Mountains, while Placobdella nuchalis, P. translucens, Glossiphonia swampina, Batracobdella phalera, Helobdella stagnalis, H. elongata and Macrobdella ditetra were found only in the coastal plain. Along with the physiographic determinants of distribution, there are also north-south factors of interest. The coastal plain species Philobdella gracilis, also found in the piedmont plateau, and Macrobdella ditetra are southern species which reach the northern limit of their range in North Carolina. On the other hand, Batracobdella picta, Erpobdella punctata punctata, Haemopis marmorata, and Macrobdella decora are common northern leeches and reach their southern limit in the area. Still other species—Placobdella nuchalis, Glossiphonia swampina, Oligobdella biannulata, Erpobdella punctata coastalis, Mooreobdella melanostoma, M. tetragon, and Haemopis septagon—appear to be highly localized and are currently known only from the Carolinas, extending into southeastern Virginia in the case of H. septagon (Shelley, 1975). Observations of locomotion and other behaviour in the biannulate leech, Oligobdella biannulata, reveal a lack of muscular activity in the mid-body regions, which may partially explain the significance of the biannulate condition. This species has been found to have more than one desmognathine salamander host in nature. A key to the hirudinifauna of the Carolinas, both known and expected, has been formulated.