Hirudobdella antipodium (Benham, 1904)
Taumaka leech, Open Bay Islands' leech
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Hirudo antipodium Benham, 1904
Conservation Status
Globally Rediscovered
Last record: before 1969 (Stirling & Johns, 1969; Miller, 1997:5)
Rediscovered in: January 1987 (Miller, 1997:6)
The known global population is now restricted to subsurface zones (seabird burrows) under a boulder some 5m x 2m (Miller, 1997, 1999). Extensive searches undertaken between November 1994 and June 1995 did not uncover any other populations (Miller, 1999).
Distribution & Habitat
Taumaka, Open Bay Islands, New Zealand
Anatomy & Morphology
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Benham, W. B. (1904). On a new species of land leech (Hirudo antipodium) recently discovered in New Zealand. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 36: 185-192, pl. 8.
Other references:
Buckley, T. R., Palma, R. L., Johns, P. M., Gleeson, D. M., Heath, A. C. G., Hitchmough, R. A. and Stringer, I. A. N. (2012). The conservation status of small or less well known groups of New Zealand terrestrial invertebrates. New Zealand Entomologist 35(2): 137-143. https://doi.org/10.1080/00779962.2012.686319 [Supplemental Material]
Miller, Craig. (1997). Occurrence and ecology of the Open Bay Islands leech, Hirudobdella antipodium. Science for Conservation No. 57. Wellington, NZ: Deptartment of Conservation.
Miller, Craig. (1999). Conservation of the Open Bay Islands' leech, Hirudobdella antipodum. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 29(4): 301-306. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.1999.9517599