Limnatis paluda (Tennant, 1859)

Darabi-Darestani, Kaveh, Sari, Alireza & Sarafrazi, Alimorad, 2016, Five new records and an annotated checklist of the leeches (Annelida: Hirudinida) of Iran, Zootaxa 4170 (1), pp. 41-70 : 60

Limnatis paluda (Tennant, 1859)

( Fig. 14 and Plate V 1 A&B)

Material examined. ZUTC-ann 1001, 1002.

Kaskan Qanat , Khorasan Razavi, (N 36° 15´38.8½, E 57° 33´29.3½), 1098m, ZUTC 5990 . Sheshtamad stone dam, Sabzevar , Khorasan Razavi (N 35° 53´51.4½, E 57° 44´13.8½), 1732m, ZUTC 5992 . Kalate Aziz Abad , Khorasan Razavi, (N 35° 54´40.8½, E 57° 51´26.2½), 1369m, ZUTC 5993 . Maydan Tir, 2 km after Aman Abad, Molk Abad , Khorasan Razavi, (N 36° 02´11.7½, E 59° 40´26.5½), 1152m, ZUTC 5994 . Kalate Rouhani, western part of Atashgah , Khorasan Jonoubi, (N 35° 18´0.5½, E 58° 22´01.6½), 1120m, ZUTC 5996 . Kohne Qanat, Mirzabailou , Golestan National Park, (N 37° 24΄ 02.9˝, E 56° 11΄ 56.1˝), 1603m, ZUTC 6008 . Almeh valley trough, Golestan National Park, (N 37° 21΄ 14.3˝, E 56° 11΄ 53.7˝), 1358m, ZUTC 6009 . Khartouran National Park , Semnan, (N 36° 42΄ 28.25˝, E 55° 40΄ 08.27˝), 1137m, ZUTC 6010 . Tararan village, Tafresh , (N 34° 41΄ 31.38˝, E 50° 0΄ 42.48˝), 1908m, ZUTC 6039 . Bayrambadan village , Ardabil, (N 38° 28΄ 32.8˝, E 48° 14΄ 50˝), 1433m, ZUTC 6055 . Takagaj village, Miandoab , Azerbaijan Gharbi, (N 36° 56΄ 50.3˝, E 46° 27΄ 57.3˝), 1591 m, ZUTC 6068 . Kourbolagh , Bolaghi-Zia-e-din road, Azerbaijan Gharbi, (N 38° 59΄ 37˝, E 45° 00΄ 19.3˝), 1316m, ZUTC 6062 . Khezrlou, Chaldoran , Azerbaijan Gharbi, (N 39° 02΄ 48.9˝, E 44° 19΄ 56.1˝), 1906m, ZUTC 6064 ( Fig. 1 ).

General distribution and habitats. Known from the south-western Mediterranean part of the Western Palaearctic ( Nesemann & Neubert 1999), also recorded by Bennike (1940) from western Iran. Living in troughs, channels and shallow slow running springs and streams frequently visited by herbivore herds and cattle attached to the wall of the channels or lurking in the mud.

Descriptive features and remarks. Large leeches (to 120 mm) with a body shape like a semi-flattened cylinder. Caudal sucker large and wider than the maximum body width. Genital pores separated by five annuli. Dorsally and ventrally, uni-colored grass or dark green with no stripes or patches. Laterally with yellowish orange bands clearly visible (unlike the description by Sawyer, 1986). Papillae absent.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of the known leech fauna of Iran. Circles: Localities of present study. Squares: Localities from available literature.

FIGURE 14. Limnatis paluda Dorsal, ventral and lateral part of anterior sucker (a, b & c), dorsal and ventral part of caudal sucker (d & e) and ventral view of clitellar region (f). M: male genital pore and F: female genital pore.