Published November 26, 2025
| Version v1
Journal article
Open
Description of two new species of freshwater leeches of the genus Helobdella (Hirudinea, Glossiphoniidae) from Mexico, with a redescription of Helobdella socimulcensis (Caballero, 1931)
Authors/Creators
- 1. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- 2. State University of Maringá UEM, Maringá, Brazil
Description
Freshwater leeches of the genus Helobdella Blanchard, 1896 (Annelida: Clitellata) are widely distributed in the New World, with most of the species occurring in the neotropics and a single species native to Europe. Species of the genus are characterized by the presence of an eversible proboscis, dorsoventrally flattened body, presence of a single pair of eyespots, and a preference for feeding on the hemolymph of aquatic invertebrates. In this study, two new species of Helobdella are described based on specimens collected in Mexico, Helobdella papilloprocta sp. nov. and Helobdella gulloae sp. nov. These specimens were preliminarily identified as H. socimulcensis (Caballero, 1931), but detailed morphological and molecular analyses confirmed their status as separate species. In addition, a neotype for Helobdella socimulcensis is designated, and a redescription of the species is provided based on specimens from the type locality: Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico. Finally, H. austinensis in Nuevo León and H. europaea in Morelos, Mexico are reported for the first time, representing new records for the country. In total, ten species of Helobdella are known from Mexico.
Files
ZK_article_162279.pdf
Files
(4.6 MB)
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:3de03f78aa38bca6e06ed284b3022bff
|
4.6 MB | Preview Download |
System files
(262.8 kB)
| Name | Size | Download all |
|---|---|---|
|
md5:d0f40a6ebf565b147ec86f92431b554a
|
262.8 kB | Download |
Linked records
Additional details
References
- Bely AE, Weisblat DA (2006) Lessons from leeches: A call for DNA barcoding in the lab. Evolution & Development 8(6): 491–501. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-142X.2006.00122.x
- Caballero CE (1931) Glossiphonia socimulcensis nv. sp. Anales del Instituto de Biología 2(1): 85–90.
- Castle WE (1900) Some North American fresh-water Rhynchobdellidae, and their parasites. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, Cambridge 36: 17–64.
- Christoffersen ML (2009) A catalogue of Helobdella (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudinea, Glossiphoniidae), with a summary of leech diversity, from South America. Neotropical Biology and Conservation 4(2): 89–98. https://doi.org/10.4013/nbc.2009.42.04
- de Carle D, Oceguera-Figueroa A, Tessler M, Siddall M, Kvist S (2017) Phylogenetic analysis of Placobdella (Hirudinea: Rhynchobdellida: Glossiphoniidae) with consideration of COI variation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 114: 234–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2017.06.017
- Folmer O, Black M, Hoeh W, Lutz R, Vrijenhoek AR (1994) DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology 3: 294–299.
- Goloboff PA, Farris JS, Nixon KC (2008) TNT, a free program for phylogenetic analysis. Cladistics: The International Journal of the Willi Hennig Society 24(5): 774–786. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-0031.2008.00217.x
- Govedich FR, Davies RW (1998) The first record of the genus Helobdella (Hirudinoidea: Glossiphoniidae) from Australia, with a description of a new species, Helobdella papillornata. Hydrobiologia 389(1–3): 45–49. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003543314841
- Hoang DT, Chernomor O, Von Haeseler A, Minh BQ, Vinh LS (2018) UFBoot2: Improving the ultrafast bootstrap approximation. Molecular Biology and Evolution 35(2): 518–522. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msx281
- Iwama RE, Arruda EP (2016) Leeches of the genus Helobdella (Clitellata: Hirudinida) from São Paulo, Brazil with descriptions of two new species using micro-computed tomography and a new record of Barbronia weberi (Blanchard, 1897). Zootaxa 4144(3): 411–429. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4144.3.8
- Källersjö M, Von Proschwitz T, Lundberg S, Eldenäs P, Erséus C (2005) Evaluation of ITS rDNA as a complement to mitochondrial gene sequences for phylogenetic studies in freshwater mussels: An example using Unionidae from north western Europe. Zoologica Scripta 34(4): 415–424. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2005.00202.x
- Kalyaanamoorthy S, Minh BQ, Wong TK, Von Haeseler A, Jermiin LS (2017) ModelFinder: Fast model selection for accurate phylogenetic estimates. Nature Methods 14(6): 587–589. https://doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.4285
- Katoh K, Rozewicki J, Yamada KD (2019) MAFFT online service: Multiple sequence alignment, interactive sequence choice and visualization. Briefings in Bioinformatics 20(4): 1160–1166. https://doi.org/10.1093/bib/bbx108
- Kutschera U (1985) Beschreibung einer neuen Egelart, Helobdella striata nov. sp. (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae). Zoologische Jahrbücher. Abteilung für Systematik, Ökologie und Geographie der Tiere 112(4): 469–476.
- Kutschera U (2004) The freshwater leech Helobdella europaea (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae): an invasive species from South America. Lauterbornia 52: 153–162.
- Kutschera U (2023) The taxonomic status of the San Francisco Bay area leech Helobdella triserialis (SF) (Annelida Hirudinida Glossiphoniidae) with notes on its ecology. Biodiversity Journal 14(4): 537–546. https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2023.14.4.537.546
- Kutschera U, Langguth H, Kuo DH, Weisblat DA, Shankland M (2013) Description of a new leech species from North America, Helobdella austinensis sp. nov. (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae), with observations on its feeding behaviour. Zoosystematics and Evolution 89(2): 239–246. https://doi.org/10.1002/zoos.201300010
- Kvist S, Oceguera-Figueroa A, Erseus C, Siddall M (2010) Barcoding, types and the Hirudo files: Using information content to critically evaluate the identity of DNA barcodes. Mitochondrial DNA 21(6): 198–205. https://doi.org/10.3109/19401736.2010.529905
- Lai Y, Chang C, Chen J (2009) Two new species of Helobdella Blanchard 1896 (Hirudinida: Rhynchobdellidae: Glossiphoniidae) from Taiwan, with a checklist of Hirudinea fauna of the island. Zootaxa 2068(1): 27–46. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2068.1.2
- Lamothe-Argumedo R (1997) Manual de técnicas para preparar y estudiar los parásitos de animales silvestres. AGT Editor, México Distrito Federal, 43 pp.
- Light JE, Siddall M (1999) Phylogeny of the leech family Glossiphoniidae based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data. The Journal of Parasitology 85(5): 815–823. https://doi.org/10.2307/3285816
- Maddison WP, Maddison DR (2021) Mesquite: a modular system for evolutionary analysis, Version 3.70. http://www.mesquiteproject.org [accessed 06 January 2025]
- Magalhães WF, Hutchings P, Oceguera-Figueroa A, Martin P, Schmelz RM, Wetzel MJ, Wiklund H, Maciolek NJ, Kawauchi GY, Williams JD (2021) Segmented worms (Phylum Annelida): A celebration of twenty years of progress through Zootaxa and call for action on the taxonomic work that remains. Zootaxa 4979(1): 190–211. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4979.1.18
- Marchese MR, Alves RG, Oceguera-Figueroa A, Glasby CJ, Gil J, Martin D, Timm T, Gelder SR, Damborenea C (2020) Chapter 12 - Phylum Annelida. In: Rogers DC, Damborenea C, Thorp J (Eds) Thorp and Covich's Freshwater Invertebrates. Volume 5: Keys to Neotropical and Antarctic Fauna, Academic Press Pages 431–486. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-804225-0.00012-5
- Moore JP (1898) The leeches of the United States National Museum. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 21(1160): 543–563. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00963801.21-1160.543
- Nei M, Kumar S (2000) Molecular evolution and phylogenetics. Oxford University Press, US, 352 pp. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780195135848.001.0001
- Nguyen LT, Schmidt HA, von Haeseler A, Minh BQ (2015) IQ-TREE: A fast and effective stochastic algorithm for estimating maximum likelihood phylogenies. Molecular Biology and Evolution 32(1): 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msu300
- Oceguera-Figueroa A (2007) Especie nueva de sanguijuela del género Helobdella (Rhynchobdellida: Glossiphoniidae) del lago de Catemaco, Veracruz, México. Acta Zoológica Mexicana 23(1): 15–22. https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2007.231553
- Oceguera-Figueroa A (2012) Molecular phylogeny of the New World blood-feeding leeches of the genus Haementeria and reconsideration of the biannulate genus Oligobdella. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62(1): 508–514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.020
- Oceguera-Figueroa A, León-Règagnon V, Siddall ME (2005) Phylogeny and revision of Erpobdelliformes (Annelida, Arhynchobdellida) from Mexico based on nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 76: 191–198. https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2005.002.307
- Oceguera-Figueroa A, León-Règagnon V, Siddall M (2010) DNA barcoding reveals Mexican diversity within the freshwater leech genus Helobdella (Annelida: Glossiphoniidae). Mitochondrial DNA 21(sup1): 24–29. https://doi.org/10.3109/19401736.2010.527965
- Pfeiffer I, Brenig B, Kutschera U (2004) The occurrence of an Australian leech species (genus Helobdella) in German freshwater habitats as revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33(1): 214–219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2004.04.010
- Prendini L, Weygoldt P, Wheeler WC (2005) Systematics of the Damon variegatus group of African whip spiders (Chelicerata: Amblypygi): evidence from behaviour, morphology and DNA. Organisms, Diversity & Evolution 5(3): 203–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ode.2004.12.004
- Reyes-Prieto M, Oceguera-Figueroa A, Snell S, Negredo A, Barba E, Fernández A, Moya A, Latorre A (2014) DNA barcodes reveal the presence of the introduced freshwater leech Helobdella europaea in Spain. Mitochondrial DNA 25(5): 387–393. https://doi.org/10.3109/19401736.2013.809426
- Richardson DJ, Moser WE, Hammond CI, Lazo-Wasem EA, Barger MA (2017) Host associations of Helobdella octatestisaca (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae) and the first report of this leech in the United States. Comparative Parasitology 84(1): 18–20. https://doi.org/10.1654/1525-2647-84.1.18
- Ringuelet RA (1943) Sobre la morfología y variabilidad de Helobdella triserialis (Em. Bl.) (Hirudinea, Glossiphoniidae). Notas del Museo de La Plata 8: 215–240. https://doi.org/10.1654/1525-2647-84.1.18
- Ringuelet RA (1981) Clave para el reconocimiento de los hirudíneos de México. Anales del Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Serie Zoologiá 52: 89–97.
- Ringuelet RA (1985) Fauna de agua dulce de la República de Argentina, Hirudinea, FECIC, Buenos Aires, 321 pp.
- Saglam N, Kutschera U, Saunders R, Saidel WM, Balombini KL, Shain DH (2018) Phylogenetic and morphological resolution of the Helobdella stagnalis species-complex (Annelida: Clitellata: Hirudinea). Zootaxa 4403(1): 61–86. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4403.1.3
- Salas-Montiel R, Phillips AJ, Pérez-Ponce de León G, Oceguera-Figueroa A (2014) Description of a new leech species of Helobdella (Clitellata: Glossiphoniidae) from Mexico with a review of Mexican congeners and a taxonomic key. Zootaxa 3900(1): 77–94. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3900.1.4
- Sawyer RT (1972) North American freshwater leeches, exclusive of the Piscicolidae, with a key to all species. University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 154 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.53881
- Sawyer RT (1986) Leech Biology and Behavior. Vol. I–III. Clarendon Press, Oxford, UK, 1065 pp.
- Sawyer RT (2024) Biology, morphology and taxonomy of a snail-feeding leech from North Carolina, USA, provisionally identified as Helobdella lineata (Verrill, 1874) (Glossiphoniidae): First evidence for extra-oral digestion in the Hirudinea. Zootaxa 5453(2): 151–182. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5453.2.1
- Shankland M, Bissen ST, Weisblat DA (1992) Description of the Californian leech Helobdella robusta sp. nov., and comparison with Helobdella triserialis on the basis of morphology, embryology, and experimental breeding. Canadian Journal of Zoology 70(6): 1258–1263. https://doi.org/10.1139/z92-174
- Siddall ME, Borda E (2003) Phylogeny and revision of the leech genus Helobdella (Glossiphoniidae) based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data and a special consideration of the triserialis complex. Zoologica Scripta 32(1): 23–33. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00098.x
- Siddall ME, Budinoff RB (2005) DNA-barcoding evidence for widespread introductions of a leech from the South American Helobdella triserialis complex. Conservation a 6(3): 467–472. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-005-4986-y
- Tessler M, Siddall ME, Oceguera-Figueroa A (2018) Leeches from Chiapas, Mexico, with a new species of Erpobdella (Hirudinida: Erpobdellidae). American Museum Novitates 2018(3895): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1206/3895.1
- White TJ, Bruns TD, Lee SB, Taylor JW (1990) Amplification and direct sequencing of fungal ribosomal genes for phylogenetics. In: Innis MA, Gelfand DH, Sninsky JJ, White TJ (Eds) PCR Protocols. Academic Press, London, 315–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-372180-8.50042-1
- Whiting MF (2002) Mecoptera is paraphyletic: Multiple genes and phylogeny of Mecoptera and Siphonaptera. Zoologica Scripta 31(1): 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0300-3256.2001.00095.x