Miscellanea Zoologica Hungarica 11. 1997 (Budapest, 1997)

Nesemann, H.: Rediscovery of the leech genus Ancyrobdella (Hirudinea, Glossiphoniidae)

Habitat: A. smaragdina was observed to inhabit the following water quality classes based on the Saprobic system (Morishita 1991): class TJ, beta-mesosaprobic (moderately polluted) and class II-III beta-mesosaprobic to alpha-mesosaprobic (critically polluted). Morishita (1991: 66) found this species occuring in the water quality class III (alpha-mesosaprobic, heavily polluted) of the Japanese saprobic system. In our samples, A. smaragdina is the most common member of the Glossiphoniidae. The leech association of the four different rivers, wherein A. smaragdina was found, is summarized in Table 1. This species was always observed in slowly running or stagnant reaches of the river bed. The animals were collected numerously from stony substrate or from the shells of large freshwater bivalves (family Unionidae). In many specimens the crop was visible, fdled with blood. The diet of A. smaragdina is largely unknown. There is no information whether it is a predator or a parasite. Table 1. Association of leech species of the four localities of A. smaragdina Name of the locality Uji (Biwa) Karsura Hozu Ushiro Family Glossiphoniidae Ancyrobdella smaragdina + + + + Glossiphonia complanata + Helobdela stagnalis + + Alboglossiphonia lata + Hemiclepsis japonica + undetermined species + Family Erpobdellidae Dina japonica + + Family Salifidae Barbronia webwri + + Odontobdella blanchardi + + + Odontobdella polaneci + The leech A. smaragdina is well known in the Japanese literature, especially under the name G. paludosa. It is mentioned as "Fairly common species in Sino-Japanese region" by Sawyer (1986, Vol. 2: 741). The identity of the continental forms, determined as Glossiphonia smaragdina by Moore (1924: 353) with the Japanese A. smaragdina is not sufficiently known and has to be verified. Discussion According to Sawyer (1986), the leech species Glossiphonia paludosa is distributed widely all over the Palaearctic region. Its distribution area should extend from Western Europe to