Biology, morphology and taxonomy of a snail-feeding leech from North Carolina, USA, provisionally identified as Helobdella lineata (Verrill, 1874) (Glossiphoniidae): First evidence for extra-oral digestion in the Hirudinea
Author
Sawyer, Roy T.
text
Zootaxa
2024
2024-05-20
5453
2
151
182
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5453.2.1
journal article
297743
10.11646/zootaxa.5453.2.1
090d2f75-e09b-4a74-ba71-a6f6f3293c39
1175-5326
11233692
B4856FA9-DE2F-4174-8F65-DB927813E48D
TABLE 2. Comparison of annual records of adults and sub-adults of two species of Helobdella collected in the period 15 April–31 May each year from 2008–2019 in the Gum Neck dike canal bordering Buckridge Coastal Preserve Dedicated Nature Preserve, southern Tyrrell County, North Carolina, USA [35.719874–76.107744], using aluminium leech traps (Fig. 2). Note that H. lineata was present every year of this longitudinal study, but H. stagnalis was not present for the first 10 years (2008–2017). In 2018 and 2019 not only was H. stagnalis present it was inexplicably more abundant than H. lineata both years. No H. elongata was found at this site in any year of the study. This longitudinal study was discontinued because of the COVID-19 pandemic. | Helobdella lineata | Helobdella stagnalis |
|---|
| 2008 | 1 | 0 |
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| 2009 | present | 0 |
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| 2010 | present | 0 |
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| 2011 | 30 | 0 |
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| 2012 | present | 0 |
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| 2013 | 7 | 0 |
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| 2014 | present | 0 |
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| 2015 | 2 | 0 |
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| 2016 | 25 | 0 |
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| 2017 | 20, plus ~100 juveniles | 0 |
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| 2018 | 26 | 93 |
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| 2019 | 58 | 84 |
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