Xerobdella lecomtei von Frauenfeld, 1868
European land leech
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Conservation Status
Missing
Last record: 2001-2005.
It has been hypothesised that a 3°c average summer temperature rise over the period 1961-2004 induced by humans caused the extinction of the species (Kutschera et al., 2007).
Distribution
Birch forests near Graz, Austria
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
A possible photograph of this species can be found here.
References
Original scientific description:
Frauenfeld, G. R. (1868). Ein neuer Landegel aus Osterreich, Verh. K.K. Zool.-bot. Gesell. Wein 18: 147-149.
Other references:
Borda, E.; Oceguera-Figueroa, A.; Siddall, M.E. (2008). On the Classification, Evolution and Biogeography of Terrestrial Haemadipsoid Leeches (Hirudinida: Arhynchobdellida: Hirudiniformes). Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 46: 142-154.
Brigić, A.; Medak, K.; Rebrina, F.; Jelić, M.; Alegro, A.; Kerovec, M. (2022). Ecology and Biology of the Rare Endemic Land Leech Xerobdella anulata (Xerobdellidae). Diversity 14: 701. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14090701
Rhett A. Butler, mongabay.com (August 26, 2007). European blood-sucker falls victim to global warming. Available from: https://news.mongabay.com/2007/08/european-blood-sucker-falls-victim-to-global-warming/
Fontaine, B. et al. (2007). The European union’s 2010 target: Putting rare species in focus. Biological Conservation 139(1-2): 167-185.
Holmes, Branden. (2021). What's Lost and What Remains: The Sixth Extinction in 100 Accounts (eBook). Self published.
Kutschera, U., Pfeiffer, I. and Ebermann, E. (2007). The European land leech: biology and DNA-based taxonomy of a rare species that is threatened by climate warming. Naturwissenschaften 94: 967-974.
Moosbrugger, G. and Reisinger, E. (1971). Zur Kenntnis des europäischen Landblutegels Xerobdella lecomtei (Frauenfeld). Z Wiss Zool 183: 1-50.
Penecke, K. A. (1896). Bemerkungen über Verbreitung und Lebensweise von Xerobdella lecomtei Frauenfeld. Zool Anz 19: 412-413.
Reisinger, E. (1951). Lebensweise und Verbreitung des europäischen Landblutegels (Xerobdella lecomtei Frauenfeld). Carinthia II 141: 110-124.
Schuster, F. (1909). Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Xerobdella lecomtei v. Frauenfeld. Zoologischer Anzeiger 35: 75-83.
Trontelj, P., Sket, B. and Steinbruck, G. (1999). Molecular phylogeny of leeches: congruence of nuclear and mitochondrial rDNA data sets and the origin of bloodsucking. J. Zool. Sys. Evol. Res. 37(3): 141-147. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0469.1999.00114.x
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=83993
https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/14123/xerobdella-lecomtei-european-land-leech
GenBank [url=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/AF099947]sequence[/url]