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NEW HOST DATA FOR THE LEECH OLIGOBDELLA BIANNULATE (EUHIRUDINEA: GLOSSIPHONIIDAE)
Citation:
Moser, W. E., R. W. Van Devender, R. R. Montanucci, C. D. Camp, AND D J. Klemm. NEW HOST DATA FOR THE LEECH OLIGOBDELLA BIANNULATE (EUHIRUDINEA: GLOSSIPHONIIDAE). The Journal of the North Carolina Academy of Science 121(1):36-40, (2005).
Impact/Purpose:
The goal of this research is to develop methods and indicators that are useful for evaluating the condition of aquatic communities, for assessing the restoration of aquatic communities in response to mitigation and best management practices, and for determining the exposure of aquatic communities to different classes of stressors (i.e., pesticides, sedimentation, habitat alteration).
Description:
The leech Oligobdella biannulata is a relatively rare species, endemic to mountain streams of the Southern Blue Ridge Physiographic Zone, exclusive of Virginia. Oligobdella biannulata was originally thought to be host specific to Desmognathus quadramaculatus. However, the host specificity of O. biannulata was amended after the discovery of additional salamander hosts. Oligobdella biannulata is currently thought to be host specific to salamanders of the subfamily Desmognathinae. Several additional amphibian host records, outside of the subramily Desmognathinae, were recorded while elucidating the distribution of O. biannulata.