Dear All,
Hirudo verbana and Hirudo medecinalis were distinguished based on
morphological characters (see the pioneer work by Nesemann & Neubert
1999). The molecular analyses just corroborated that conclusion and
revealed a new Hirudo species H. orientalis, which can be easily
identified by its coloration pattern.
See also:
P. Trontelj & S.Y. Utevsky. 2005. Celebrity with a neglected taxonomy:
molecular systematics of the medicinal leech (genus Hirudo)
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 34: 616√624.
S.Y. Utevsky & P. Trontelj. 2005. A new species of the medicinal leech
(Oligochaeta, Hirudinida, Hirudo) from Transcaucasia and an identification
key for the genus Hirudo. Journal Parasitology Research 98: 61-66
Best wishes,
Serge Utevsky
--
Dr. Serge Utevsky
Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology
V.N.Karazin Kharkiv National University
Pl. Svobody 4
Kharkiv 61077
UKRAINE
