Erpobdella punctata Leidy 1870

Erpobdella punctata (Leidy 1870)

Common name: Tiger leech

General distribution: Nearctic (Figures 2 G, 4C, 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).