Aotearoabdella Bolotov, 2025

Genus Aotearoabdella Bolotov gen. nov.

Figure S7 https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:439BA4D8-D762-4D71-B805-CC28FF06865C

Type species. Placobdella maorica Benham, 1907 .

Differential diagnosis. Small leeches (length up to 16 mm; Mason 1974); one pair of eyespots on III; body with 69-70 annuli, mid-body somites triannulate; mouth pore is subterminal; one pair of compact salivary glands; small esophageal glands present; seven pairs of branched crop caeca; the first pair of crop caeca are anteriorly directed and are approximately 1.5-2 times longer than those of the 2nd – 6th pairs; six pairs of testisacs; gonopores separated by two annuli: male gonopore on furrow XI a3 / XII a1 and female gonopore on furrow XII a2 / XII a3; posterior sucker is small, circular, ventrally directed; phylogenetic data are not available.

Etymology. the name of this genus is combined from two parts, that is, ‘ Aotearoa ’ (Maori name for New Zealand) and ‘ bdella ’ (leech in Greek).

Distribution. New Zealand and Tasmania.

List of species. Two new combinations are proposed as follows:

(1) Aotearoabdella maorica ( Benham, 1907) gen. & comb. nov. [= Placobdella maorica Benham, 1907 ; = Placobdelloides maorica ( Benham, 1907) ; type locality: Ruapuke Island, 46.76°S, 168.52°E, New Zealand; range: New Zealand; host: Pacific black duck Anas superciliosa Gmelin, 1789 ( Anatidae ) and man] ( Benham 1907; Mason 1974; Sawyer 1986; Govedich 2001);

(2) Aotearoabdella bdellae ( Ingram, 1957) comb. nov. [= Placobdella bdellae Ingram, 1957 ; = Placobdelloides bdellae ( Ingram, 1957) ; type locality: Salmon Ponds, 42.7557°S, 146.9682°E, Plenty River, Tasmania (based on the label of syntypes from D.M. Ingram leech collection: TMAG K0737; K0738; K0739; K0740; K0741; and K0784); range: Tasmania; host: pouched lamprey Geotria australis Gray, 1851 ( Geotriidae )] ( Ingram 1957; Mason 1974; Sawyer 1986).

Discussion