Phylogenetic position and description of a new species of medicinal leech from the eastern United States
Taxonomy study published in Journal of Parasitology (2019)
Abstract
A new species of medicinal leech, Macrobdella mimicus n. sp., is described from specimens collected in Maryland; this is the first description of a North American macrobdellid since 1975. Superficially, the new species resembles the well-known Macrobdella decora, as both species possess 4 accessory pores arranged symmetrically on the ventral surface, yet the new species is distinguished from M. decora in possessing 4-4½ annuli (rather than 3½) between the gonopores and 4 annuli (rather than 5 annuli) between the female gonopore and the first pair of accessory pores. Phylogenetic analyses, based on 2 mitochondrial and 2 nuclear loci for a set of closely related taxa, confirms the placement of the new species within the family Macrobdellidae and places it as the sister taxon to M. decora and M. diplotertia.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Summary
Describes Macrobdella mimicus, a new medicinal leech species from the eastern United States, with phylogenetic placement based on multilocus molecular data.
Why This Matters for Hirudotherapy
This study describes a new species of medicinal leech, Macrobdella mimicus n. sp., from specimens collected in Maryland, representing the first description of a North American macrobdellid since 1975. The species is morphologically distinguished from the similar M. decora by having 4–4½ annuli between gonopores (versus 3½) and 4 annuli between the female gonopore and first accessory pore pair (versus 5), and phylogenetic analysis using two mitochondrial and two nuclear loci places it as sister taxon to M. decora and M. diplotertia within Macrobdellidae. This is relevant to ASH's domain from a biodiversity and taxonomic cataloging perspective for medicinal leech species. However, the study is purely taxonomic and phylogenetic in nature, with no investigation of anticoagulant compounds, secretome composition, therapeutic properties, or clinical relevance.
Citation
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