Scaptobdella, BLANCHARD, 1897

GENUS SCAPTOBDELLA BLANCHARD, 1897

Type species: Scaptobdella horsti Blanchard, 1897 , fixed by monotypy.

Emended diagnosis: Female gonopore in posterior part of somite XII. Pharyngopore, when present, dorsally in posterior part of somite XIV. Pharyngoporal duct simple, straight, descending to pharynx terminal end. Crop tubular, acaecate. Gastropore and gastroporal duct absent. Pair of atrial cornua conical, curved posterolaterally. Tubular ovisacs turned posterodistally, then running dorsally on respective sperm ducts.

Remarks: This genus has been considered a salifid taxon ( Sawyer, 1986; Nakano & Nguyen, 2015). However, Scaptobdella does not belong to the family Salifidae because its type species and other congeners clearly possess an agnathous and euthylaematous pharynx in their oral cavities. Although the species of Scaptobdella do not bear a ventral gastroporal duct, this genus is placed within the family Gastrostomobdellidae by the following characteristics: mid-body somite annulation basically sexannulate, post-anal annuli present, ejaculatory bulbs and epididymides absent, and ovisacs tubular, directly descending to female gonopore. Scaptobdella is distinguishable from Gastrostomobdella by the following morphological characteristics: female gonopore in posterior part of somite XII (in somite XII/XIII to anterior part of somite XIII in Gastrostomobdella ), atrial cornua developed conical, and curved posterolaterally (rudimentary or weakly developed), and tubular ovisacs running dorsally on respective sperm ducts (generally running alongside the ventral nerve cord).