<i>Erpobdella montezuma</i> (Hirudinoidea: Erpobdellidae), a new species of freshwater leech from North America

Abstract

Morphological and taxonomic descriptions are given of an erpobdellid found to be a new species of Erpobdella Blainville, 1818 collected from Montezuma Well, Arizona, U.S.A. Mature individuals of Erpobdella montezuma sp. nov. do not exceed 71 mm total length, have three pairs of eyes with the second and third pairs smaller, and have dorsal paramedial stripes that are densely pigmented. On the dorsum and venter of each annulus lie 14–18 small white-tipped papillae containing the sensory organs. Six pairs of bunches of large testicular follicles (three to five in a bunch) are present. The morphological and anatomical variations between E. punctata and E. montezuma are described.