Alboglossiphonia heteroclita (O. F. Müller, 1774 )

Šatkauskienė, Ingrida & Rutkauskaitė-Sucilienė, Jurgita, 2022, The present state of the leech fauna (Annelida: Hirudinea) in Lithuania, Zootaxa 5115 (1), pp. 47-62 : 49-51

Alboglossiphonia heteroclita (O. F. Müller, 1774)

( Figures 2A–B )

Material examined: Raseika (Nr. 1) n=10, 9.viii.2019; Maišia (Nr. 15), n=7, vii–viii. 2019; Labanoras (Nr. 32) n=3, 14.viii.2019.

Diagnosis. Body flat, pear–shaped, 10 mm length, and 3–4 mm width. Most common colors of the specimens are yellowish or whitish, some specimens semitransparent, with scarce yellowish dots. The dots of dorsal surface form a weak yellowish stripe, extending from the somites of the head to middle body. Three pairs of eyespots, of which the first pair is anterior, the second two pairs are far apart ( Fig. 2A–B ).

Habitat. These small leeches are found in small ponds and lakes with abundant vegetation in foreshores. Typical microhabitat is submerged sheaths of leaves of Typha; in addition, some specimens were found on lower side of leaves of Nuphar luteum.

Specimens with yellow eggs inside ( Fig. 2A ) or offspring attached to ventral sides were found from May to August.

Distribution. Alboglossiphonia heteroclita is a Holarctic species, occurring in Central and Western–Europe ( Neubert and Nesemann 1999; Bielecki et al. 2011a). In Lithuania, this species was previously found in Curonian lagoon ( Szidat 1926; Zettler and Daunys 2007). In the current survey A. heteroclita has been found in few regions: Kaunas, Raseiniai, Švenčionys ( 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).