Medicinal Leeches - Hirudinidae - colour patterns

Medicinal Leeches - Hirudinidae - colour patterns

(Species with stripes tend to have the sides yellow or orange)

1 stripe dorsally

• Hirudo hildebrandti: dorsum with one median black stripe (OR 5-7 dark stripes), ventrum without marginal black stripes

5 stripes dorsally

• Hirudo michaelseni: dorsum with 5 yellow with black border stripes – no median stripe, ventrum with black marginal stripes
• Hirudo hildebrandti: dorsum with 5-7 dark stripes (OR with only median black stripe), ventrum without marginal black stripes

6 stripes dorsally

• Asiaticobdella fenestrata: dorsum with 6 dark bands and large black blotches, ventrum heavily spotted or blotched
• Aliolimnatis obscura: dorsum with 6 dark-brown, narrow stripes – no median stripe, ventrum with black marginal stripes

7 stripes dorsally

• Hirudo hildebrandti: dorsum with 5-7 dark stripes (OR with only median black stripe), ventrum without marginal black stripes
• Aliolimnatis oligodonta: dorsum with median stripe black, and 6 yellow stripes, ventrum with black marginal stripes
• Aliolimnatis buntonensis: dorsum with median stripe light brown, and 6 olive green stripes, ventrum with black marginal stripes

11 stripes dorsally

• Aliolimnatis africana: dorsum with 11 narrow black stripes, first 2 pairs on each side of median stripe segmentally merged to form a chain-like pattern, ventrum with black marginal stripes

No stripes

• Praobdella maculata: dorsum uniformly coloured, spotted with small, black blotches
• Praobdella radiata: dorsum uniformly coloured, without black spots

Posted on January 3, 2024 07:23 AM by tonyrebelo