HIRUDININAE Richardson, 1969

Hechtel, Fred O. P. & Sawyer, Roy T., 2002, Toward a taxonomic revision of the medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus, 1758 (Hirudinea: Hirudinidae): re-description of Hirudo troctina Johnson, 1816 from North Africa, Journal of Natural History 36 (11), pp. 1269-1289 : 1272-1273

Subfamily HIRUDININAE Richardson, 1969 Genus Hirudo Linnaeus, 1758 Hirudo troctina Johnson, 1816

Hirudo Troctina Johnson, 1816: 31–32 (no type locality speci ed); Blanchard, 1894: 41–42; Blanchard, 1908: 310; Johansson, 1914: 837–840; Moore, 1939: 82–83.

Sanguisuga interrupta Moquin-Tandon, 1827: 118–119, pl. 6, gure 2; Letheby, 1844: 256, gure 3.

Sanguisuga troctina Moquin-Tandon, 1846: 335–337 , pl. 11, gures 19–22.

Material examined. Morocco (note: this material was previously examined by Moore, 1939). Lake Aguelman, Sidi Ali, Moyen Atlas Mts , eight specimens, two dissected 40.3 mm ( BMNH 1939.8.18.5-6) and 43.0 mm ( BMNH 1939.8.18.7-8). Oumer Rbia River , south-west of Azrou, one specimen dissected 29.0 mm ( BMNH 1939.8 .18.1 3). The following material was examined externally, Lake C, Ouiouane, 80 km south west of Azrou , ca 1500 m, three specimens 26.0, 28.5 and 31.0 mm ( BMNH 1939.8 .18.10 –12). No. 558 Timhadit, Guigou River , 40 km south of Azrou , ca 2000 m, one specimen 27.0 mm ( BMNH 1939.8.18 .9) . Algeria. ‘ Algeria’ , four specimens, two dissected 50.5 and 59.0 mm, 1876 (1870?) ( MNHN A796 ) . Tunisia. Sousse, one large specimen, dissected 114 mm, 1899 ( MNHN A806 ) . ‘ Tunisia’ , 11 specimens, two dissected 57.0 and 67.5 mm, 1888 ( MNHN A802 ) .

Known distribution. Hirudo troctina has been reported previously from the following localities in northwestern Africa. MOROCCO: Lake Aguelman, Sidi Ali (130 km south Meknes, ca 2100 m); Timhadit, Guigou River (40 km south Azrou, ca 2000 m); Ouiouane (80 km south-west Azrou, ca 1400 m); Oum er Rbia River (south-west Azrou); Aguelman Aziza Lake (20 km west Oum er Rbia Springs) ( Moore, 1939). ALGERIA: El Kreider ( Johansson, 1914), Téniet-el-Haad (3 days south of Milianah) (Moquin-Tandon, 1846: 336), Lake Holloula (west of Mitidjà) ( Ebrard 1857: 188), ‘ Constantine ’ ( Ebrard, 1857: 38), Tiaret (Ghelma) ( Bertherand, 1855). TUNISIA: Oued el Amor (Tabarca region); Camp de la Santé (Aön-Draham region) ( Blanchard, 1908), ‘Tunis’ ( Ebrard, 1857: 37).

Reports in the early literature of this species from Spain (near Corogne) ( Blanchard, 1894: 42) and from Sardinia and Libya (‘Tripoli’) ( Ebrard, 1857: 37) remain unsubstantiated.

Designation of neotype. No type material exists for H. troctina , and the original description did not specify a type locality. In order to stabilize the nomenclature of this species we designate the following specimen as the neotype for this species: BMNH 1939.8.18.5-6 from Stn B, Lake Aguelman , Sidi Ali, Moyen Atlas Mountains, Morocco. We choose this specimen because its identi cation was con- rmed by Moore (1939), as well as in this study (our Dissection 30Z). (Due to friability of the neotype, its dissection was limited to establishing identi cation. Figure 2 (left) was taken from Dissection 27Z where additional tissue was removed to allow for a complete drawing.)

Figures

FIG. 2. Comparison of male and female reproductive systems of Hirudo troctina from North Africa (left) [Dissection 27Z] and Hirudo medicinalis from western Turkey (right) [Dissection 28Z]. Dorsal view. Inset (left): left lateral view of vagina [Dissection 27Z]. Inset (right): left lateral view of vagina of Dissection 29Z (a more typical vaginal morphology for this species than Dissection 27Z). co, common oviduct; e, epididymis; eb, ejaculatory bulb; ed, ejaculatory duct; o, oviduct; os, ovisac; ps, penis sheath; pt, prostate; ts, testisac; v, vagina; vc, vaginal caecum; vd, vas deferens. Roman numerals indicate the location of respective somatic ganglia to assist in establishing the location of the reproductive organs. Scale bar: 1 mm.