Haementeria officinalis

External morphology

Land leech with dorsally subdivided annuli. It features three dorsal rows of large primary tubercles: a median row on a1, a2, and a3 (which may be absent on some annuli); and two lateral rows on a1 and a3. Smaller tubercles are present on all annuli, arranged in two transverse rows on each; however, near the margin—lateral to the intermediate sensillae—they are arranged in a single transverse row. On the ventral surface, micropapillae are arranged in two transverse rows on the 1st and 3rd annuli of each segment. Somites I and II are uniannulate; III and IV are biannulate, with two eyes located on III (a1 + a2); V through XXIV are triannulate (or complete); XXV and XXVI are biannulate; and XXVII is uniannulate. The gonopores are situated as is typical for the genus, separated by two annuli: XII (b1 + b2) and XII a2. Anus: posterior to XXVII. Color, according to Jiménez (1865): dark brown with some green and with black specks.

Habitat & range

Habitat

Freshwater

Region

North America

Recorded from

Mexico

Junior synonyms

Haementeria mexicana, Glossiphonia granulosa