148 LEECHES 



Suborder Rhynchobdellae 



Family Glossiphoniidae Vaillant 1890 



Autrum (1939) divided the family into the subfamilies Glossi- 

 phoniinae in which the mouth is within the cup of the anterior 

 sucker and the Haementeriinae in which the mouth is a small pore 

 on the rim of the anterior sucker. Since 1939 several genera have 

 been set up with insufficient description for a decision to be made 

 as to which subfamily should hold them. Caballero (1956) and 

 Moore (1959) amended the scheme in various ways and the 

 arrangement given below is an attempt to incorporate the valid 

 points of each scheme. 



Subfamily Glossiphoniinae Autrum 1939 

 Genera: Glossiphonia Johnson 1816, a world-wide freshwater 

 genus comprising mainly mollusc feeders which roll into a ball 

 when handled; Batracohdella Viguier 1879, resembling Glossi- 

 phonia in appearance and habits but differing in internal anatomy ; 

 world-wide distribution; Helohdella Blanchard 1876, also world- 

 wide with many species; small, attacking mainly freshwater 

 invertebrates; Theromyzon Filippi 1867, a parasite of buccal and 

 nasal cavities of water fowl ; cosmopolitan ; Hemiclepsis Vedjowsky 

 1883, sometimes grouped with Theromyzon; sucks blood of fish 

 and amphibians; Europe and Asia; Aticyrobdella Oka 1917, Japan; 

 Oligoclepsis Oka 1935, Japan; Marsupiohdella Goddard and Malan 

 1912, parasite of African freshwater crabs; has an internal brood 

 pouch opening ventrally. 



Subfamily Haementeriinae Autrum 1939 

 Genera: Haementeria PhiHppi 1849, many S. American species, 

 including H. officinalis the medicinal leech of Mexico ; Placobdella 

 Blanchard 1893, of S. Europe, America, Asia and Africa; some- 

 times made a subgenus of Haementeria; includes parasites of man, 

 other mammals and reptiles; Paraclepsis Harding 1924, India, and 

 Parahdella Autrum 1936, India and Ceylon, Africa and N. America 

 are often also united under Haementeria or Placobdella; Oculobdella 

 Autrum 1936, N. and S. America; Anoculobdella Weber 1915, 

 S. America; Granelia Harant and Vernieres 1935, Central Africa; 

 Desmobdella Oka 1930, S. America; Oligobdella Moore, 1918, 

 N. and S. America, Japan, Korea and New Zealand; attacks 



