Parasitism of the Two-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma means Garden) by the Macrobdellid Leech Macrobdella ditetra Moore

Benjamin S. Stegenga¹, Alec Jarboe², Dirk J. Stevenson^3,*, and Elizabeth Borda⁴

¹The Orianne Society, Tiger, GA 30576. ²452 Young Way, Richmond Hill, GA 31324. ³Altamaha Environmental Consulting, Hinesville, GA 31313. ⁴Texas A&M University San Antonio, One University Way, Department of Science and Math, San Antonio, TX 78224.*Corresponding author.

Southeastern Naturalist,Volume 20, Issue 1 (2021): N1–N6

Abstract
During the course of surveys for freshwater amphibians/reptiles in the Coastal Plain of southeastern Georgia and northern Florida, we documented parasitism of the Amphiuma means (Two-toed Amphiuma) by the leech Macrobdella ditetra (Family Macrobdellidae). We observed this leech on Two-toed Amphiumas at 4 different wetland sites, with 1–3 individual M. ditetra present on 6 of 16 (37.5%) Two-toed Amphiumas captured via aquatic trapping. Leeches were not found on Siren lacertina (Greater Siren; n = 10), a second large, eel-like salamander inhabiting some of the same wetlands. We did not document Philobdella floridana, a second macrobdellid leech species often found syntopically with M. ditetra, feeding on the Two-toed Amphiuma.

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