SYNONYMIZATION OF PLACOBDELLA PICTA (VERRILL, 1872) (HIRUDINEA: GLOSSIPHONIIDAE) WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES REVEALED BY MOLECULAR SPECIES DELIMITATION.

Abstract

Species of Placobdella have been the frequent subject of revisionary and alpha-taxonomy in the past 2 decades. Recent molecular analyses introduced uncertainty about the taxonomic status of several broadly distributed and morphologically variable Placobdella species, including Placobdella picta (Verrill 1872), compounded by incomplete original descriptions reliant upon characters that are no longer unique in comparison to modern congeners. We assessed specimens of P. picta to identify any distinct phylogenetic entities that align with our morphological observations of the type series and novel topotype specimens. Using mitochondrial COI and ND1 and nuclear 18S rDNA with Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference, we evaluated species boundaries using species delimitation analyses (ABGD, mPTP, bPTP, and GMYC) and molecular phylogenetics. Our analyses revealed 2 species entities equivalent to 2 non-reciprocal monophyletic clades. Morphological examinations revealed the lectotype was determined to be Placobdella ornata (Verrill 1872), and paralectotypes are other leech species or were poorly preserved and unidentifiable. Due to the problems with the type series, P. picta is now considered a junior synonym of P. ornata. Based on our results, we describe 2 new species: Placobdella unimaculata n. sp. from Connecticut and Placobdella desseri n. sp. from Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.