Hirudo verbana

Mediterranean Medicinal leech ( Hirudo verbana )

( Verbana Hirudo called Carena 1820, also Hungarian leech ) The rediscovered in the 1990s in Hungary Mediterranean Medical Leeches was considered up to this time as a color variant of the type species of the European medical leech (H. medicinalis ) Linnaeus 1758. In contrast to the European medical leech that is rarely used in natural medicine, in Germany 95% of all used for therapeutic blood flukes Mediterranean leeches (H. verbana ) that are imported from Turkey or Russia. The leeches, in contrast to the sister species H. medicinalis, a yellow-green, unpigmented ventral side with two side strips.

Systematic position

In his standard work on the biology of leeches, the zoologist Konrad Herter (1891-1980) took the view that the European medical leech (H. medicinalis ) is a variable species. Therefore, he distinguished between different color varieties. It was therefore up to the 1990s customary differently patterned Medical leech H. medicinalis under the species name L. 1758 ( = H. officinalis Savigny 1822) summarize. Morphological studies of the various " Leech - type", combined with DNA sequence analysis, and hybridization experiments have shown that H. medicinalis and " colors", which have been collected in Hungary represent two different types. The Mediterranean Medical Leeches could be the taxon Hirudo verbana Carena assigned 1820.

Occurrence

The leeches were discovered around 1818 in Verbanus Lacus (Lake Maggiore ), described as a distinct species. In contrast to the north -spread European Medical leeches are the " Mediterranean bloodsuckers " to be found in warmer, southern regions (eg Turkey, southern Switzerland, Italy). The distribution areas overlap only slightly, so that must be assumed by a geographical separation of the species H. medicinalis and H. verbana. Both species are brightly colored and reach as adult animal body lengths of up to 10 cm. The Kieferegel feed as external parasites from the blood of fish, amphibians ( newts, frogs) and mammals (eg wild pigs ). In nature, only exceptional people are incurred.

Both H. medicinalis and H. verbana are a result of systematic destruction of their natural habitat ( warm, amphibians rich ponds with shallow water ), and harvesting, whole populations for consumption in the leech therapy by doctors and health practitioners, threatened with extinction.