Americobdella is a genus of carnivorous leeches from southern Chile, comprising only the species, Americobdella valdiviana.
| Americobdella valdiviana | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
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| Genus: | Americobdella |
| Species: | A. valdiviana |
| Binomial name | |
| Americobdella valdiviana (Philippi, 1872) | |
| Synonyms | |
Macrobdella valdiviana Philippi, 1872 | |
Taxonomy
Philippi, who originally classified A. valdiviana as an erpobdellid leech, noted that Americobdella valdiviana was similar to Trocheta (now synonymized with Erpobdella) "in both appearance and habit".[1] It is phylogenically between two major groups of leeches, the Rhynchobdellida and the Arhynchobdellida.[1] Recent work has suggested A. valdiviana is more closely related to the Erpobdelliformes than the Hirudiniformes.[1]
Description
Americobdella valdiviana is a predator and has only rudimentary jaws. Because of these features, it was originally classified as an erpobdellid leech.[1] A. valdiviana is grey-coloured on the dorsal side with a yellowish ventral side. Whether eyes are present in this species is a matter of debate. While Philippi originally described Americobdella valdiviana as having no eyes, other authors have indicated that eyes are indeed present.[1]
Diet
A. valdiviana feeds on earthworms.[1]