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LEECHES (ANNELIDA: EUHIRUDINEA) OF NORTHERN ARKANSAS
Citation:
MOSER, W. E., D. KLEMM, D. J. RICHARDSON, B. A. WHEELER, S. E. TRAUTH, AND B. A. DANIELS. LEECHES (ANNELIDA: EUHIRUDINEA) OF NORTHERN ARKANSAS. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science. Arkansas Academy of Science, Russellville, AR, 60:84-95, (2006).
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:
Twenty-one lotic and lentic environments throughout central and northern Arkansas were surveyed for the presence of leeches during June 2004, and April, July - October, 2005. Fourteen species of leeches (Desserobdella cryptobranchii, Desserobdella phalera, Desserobdella picta, Helobdella elongata, Helobdella papillata, Helobdella stagnalis, Placobdella multilineata, Placobdella ornata, Placobdella papillifera, Placobdella parasitica, Haemopis marmorata, Erpobdella punctata, Mooreobdella fervida, and Mooreobdella microstoma) representing three families were collected. Five species (D. phalera, H. elongata, P. multilineata, H. marmorata and M. Fervida) are reported from Arkansas for the first time. The natural history of the twenty-two species of leeches now known from Arkansas is reviewed.