AnimaliaNot EvaluatedacceptedspeciesAccepted
Erpobdella punctata

Erpobdella punctata

(Leidy, 1870) Leidy, 1870

GBIF:119380942

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Descriptions(1)

General distribution: Nearctic (Figures 2 G, 4 C, 5, Tables 1, 2). Newfoundland: Survey: Site 1 (CMNA 2006 – 0025), Site 2 (CMNA 2006 – 0026), Site 7 (CMNA 2006 – 0027), Site 10 (CMNA 2006 – 0028), Site 12 (CMNA 2006 – 0029), Site 13 (CMNA 2006 – 0030), Site 14 (CMNA 2006 – 0031), and Site 15 (CMNA 2006 – 0032); Museum specimen: CMNA 1978 – 0344; Literature: Pawlowski (1948) at Corner Brook, Deer Lake, and Terra Nova; Gates and Moore (1970) at Lily Pond; Pickavance (1971) as Erpobdella sp. in Rennies River, St. John’s; Davies (1973) at Rocky Harbour. Labrador: Survey: Site 24 (CMNA 2006 – 0033); St. Pierre and Miquelon: Literature: Pawlowski (1948) at two stations. Notes on the species. Figure 5 shows the pigmentation patterns of E. punctata in Newfoundland. Specimens of E. punctata from Sites 14 (Avalon Peninsula) and 15 (Burin Peninsula) had a distinct pigmentation pattern not previously noted in the Great Basin (Hovingh 2004) or illustrated by Klemm (1985: Fig. 7.97). Some specimens (Figure 5 C) possessed an inner para-medial row which combine across the median and provide an appearance of a single broad dorsal-median strip (the “ mid-dorsal form ”). The variations at Sites 1 and 2 (Figure 5 F) were less developed across the medium. Klemm (1985: Figure 7.97) shows another variation having inner and outer para-medial rows united with a lighter mid-dorsal region. Sometimes the entire annulus is pigmented across the medium showing a dorsum that is very dark and with no mid-dorsal region. At site 7 (Figure 5 B), specimens most closely resembled the ‘ normal’ variety. Specimens at other sites were intermediary between the two forms (Figure 5 A, D, E).
Madill, Jacqueline, Hovingh, Peter (2007): Freshwater leech (Annelida: Hirudinida) distribution in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and adjacent regions: check-list, new records, new pigmentation forms, and Pleistocene refugia. Zootaxa 1657: 1-21, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.179881

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Media Files(2)

FIGURE 2. Photographs of selected Newfoundland and Labrador leeches. D was collected by Cecelia McGrath in 1982. A, Dorsal view of Glossiphonia elegans (Verrill), site 17; B, Dorsal view of Helobdella modesta (Verrill), site 12; C, Dorsal view of Theromyzon sp., site 6; D, Lateral view of Haemopis lateromaculata Mathers, showing the plain ventrum separated from the speckled dorsum by a lighter pattern on the side, CMNA 1982 – 0654; E, Dorsal view of Haemopis marmorata (Say), site 12; F, Closeup of anal protrusion of Haemopis marmorata, Site 12; G, Erpobdella punctata (Leidy) (normal pigmentation), site 7; H, Erpobdella obscura (Verrill) [normal pigmentation], site 21. Scale bars are in cm unless otherwise indicated.

Imageimage/png© Madill, Jacqueline;Hovingh, PeterMadill, Jacqueline;Hovingh, Peter

FIGURE 5. Pigmentation patterns in Newfoundland and Labrador Erpobdella punctata (Leidy) by PH. A – B, Site 7, C Sites 14 – 15, D, Sites 12, 13, 24; E, Site 10; F, Sites 1 – 2.

Imageimage/png© Madill, Jacqueline;Hovingh, PeterMadill, Jacqueline;Hovingh, Peter

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Source Information

Freshwater leech (Annelida: Hirudinida) distribution in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and adjacent regions: check-list, new records, new pigmentation forms, and Pleistocene refugia

checklist

This dataset contains the digitized treatments in Plazi based on the original journal article Madill, Jacqueline, Hovingh, Peter (2007): Freshwater leech (Annelida: Hirudinida) distribution in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and adjacent regions: check-list, new records, new pigmentation forms, and Pleistocene refugia. Zootaxa 1657: 1-21, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.179881

Abstract

The freshwater leeches (Hirudinida) in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador were investigated by examining the literature, the Canadian Museum of Nature and the United States National Museum of Natural History records, and a leech survey. New pigmentation forms are described for Erpobdella punctata (Leidy) and Erpobdella obscura (Verrill). This is the first published record for Haemopis lateromaculata Mathers in Canada. Four species (Glossiphonia elegans (Verrill), Helobdella modesta (Verrill), Erpobdella punctata, and Erpobdella obscura) were found in both Labrador and Newfoundland with Erpobdella obscura common in Labrador and the other three species common in Newfoundland. Seven other species of leeches were less abundant in Newfoundland with 6 of these species very restricted in distribution. The abundance of leech species in Newfoundland and the paucity of leech species in Labrador suggested that the island species were present in a Pleistocene refugium associated with Newfoundland or the Grand Banks. Post-Pleistocene barriers to leech mobility are examined, and possible timing of colonization events is proposed in this model.

Key words: Annelida, Leeches, Hirudinida, Glossiphoniidae, Haemopidae, Hirudinidae, Erpobdellidae, Newfoundland, Labrador, pigmentation patterns, Pleistocene refugia, new record

Madill J, Hovingh P, plazi (2007). Freshwater leech (Annelida: Hirudinida) distribution in the Canadian Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and adjacent regions: check-list, new records, new pigmentation forms, and Pleistocene refugia. Plazi.org taxonomic treatments database. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.179881 accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-06-14.

CC0Published 12/31/2007View dataset
GBIF Usage Key
119380942
Dataset Key
4450f512-2b32-4d43-8291-95a78b92b0b4
Origin
source
Backbone Key
2308841
Taxon ID
03C78785FF97CA4F3598FF53FD79828F.taxon
Last Crawled
6/11/2026
Last Interpreted
6/11/2026