Limnatis nilotica (Savigny, 1822)

Ahmed, Raja Ben, Romdhane, Yasmina & Tekaya, Saïda, 2015, Checklist and Distribution of Marine and freshwater leeches (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinea) in Tunisia with identification key, Ecologica Montenegrina 2 (1), pp. 3-19 : 11

Limnatis nilotica (Savigny, 1822)

( Fig. 3A)

Diagnosis: The dorsal side shows two different color patterns: the typical pattern is green to brown with four interrupted black lines, while some specimens have an additional median orange band. Marginally, there are two orange stripes. The ventral side of the body is dark brown. The anterior sucker has five pairs of parabolic eyes, the posterior sucker is very large and the genital pores are separated by five annuli

Habitat: Eurytopic species, common in the springs, oueds and drainage basins.

Distribution: L. nilotica (Syn. Bdella nilotica Savigny, 1822 ) was the first species discovered by Savigny, who accompanied Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt. This species was attributed by Moquin­Tandon (1846) to the genus Limnatis because the name Bdella was preoccupied by a genus of Arachnida. Blanchard (1908) and Seurat (1922) mentioned the following distribution for L. nilotica : Egypt, Turkestan, Middle East, southern Italy (Sicily) and Spain (Balearic and Canary islands). Nesemann & Neubert (1999) mentioned it as a circum­Mediterranean species, occurring in the Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula, in the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and eastern Africa.

In Tunisia ( Fig. 5H), Megnin (1891) collected this species from the oral cavity of horses brought by the French military from Bizerte ( Tunisia). Autrum (1936) recorded L. nilotica from North Africa ( Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia). Ben Ahmed et al. (2008a) reported it from the governorate of Bizerte ( Aïn Sejnen ), governorate Ariana ( Aïn djbel Ammar , 36.544070N, 10.015739E), governorate Ben Arous (Valley bir el bey and Marsh Borj el cedria, 36.423148N, 10.255222E), governorate Béja (Aïn testour, 36.322726N, 09.27004 E), Governorate Zaghouan (Aïn gbar elsbia, 36.23768N, 1075410E), governorate Siliana (Aïn bit hsouna, 36.72021 N, 09.213744 E; Aïn waheb, 36.72095N, 09.213434E), Governorate Nabeul (Lebna drainage basin, 36.44326N, 010 55 25,5E); governorate Gabès (Bouhedma Parc, N 34.185722/E09.245520) .

In the present paper we add its presence in the follweing localties: governorate Nabeul: drainage basin Tebouda (El Haouria), 37.3.0N, 11.0.36E; Marsh sidi Ameur in El Haouria , 37.3.0N, 11.0.33E; Oued Elabid (village), 36.51804N, 10.44711E ; governorate of Jendouba: Aïn Delya (14 km before Feïja), 36.4809 N, 08.32511E ; governorate Zaghouan: Aïn Sidi Bougabrine , 36.37593N, 10.10507E ; governorate Gabes: Oasis Kettana , 33.493357N, 10.001757E ; Oasis Chninni , 33.515028N, 10.4600E ; governorate Bizerte: Ain Sidi Saleh , 37.12302N, 10.04002E ; governorate of Béja: Aïn 2 to 3 km before Sidi Salem dam, 36.352699N, 09.241621E ; governorate of Kairouan: Aïn Chrichira ; governorate of Tozeur: Chbika, 37.1912N, 7.55588 E ); Tamaghza , 34.2248N, 7.570 E ; governorate of Gafsa: Oued el­Akarit, 34.25N, 8.47E .