Cryptic taxonomic diversity and high-latitude melanism in the glossiphoniid leech assemblage from the Eurasian Arctic

A comprehensive study of the Eurasian Arctic reveals that the glossiphoniid leech assemblage harbors significant cryptic taxonomic diversity, with 14 species identified, including five new to science. The Taymyr Peninsula and nearby Putorana Plateau emerge as biodiversity hotspots, hosting nine species, while other Arctic regions exhibit depleted faunas. The research leverages extensive occurrence and DNA sequence datasets, uncovering broad climatic range distributions for most species, with potential high-latitude endemism in two new taxa. Additionally, high-latitude melanism is identified as a common phenomenon among these leeches, challenging traditional biogeographical paradigms.

Bolotov, I. N., Kondakov, A. V., Eliseeva, T. A., Aksenova, O. V., Babushkin, E. S., Bespalaya, Y. V., Chertoprud, E. S., Dvoryankin, G. A., Gofarov, M. Yu., Klass, A. L., Konopleva, E. S., Kropotin, A. V., Lyubas, A. A., Makhrov, A. A., Palatov, D. M., Shevchenko, A. R., Sokolova, S. E., Spitsyn, V. M., Tomilova, A. A., et al. (2022). Cryptic taxonomic diversity and high-latitude melanism in the glossiphoniid leech assemblage from the Eurasian Arctic. Scientific Reports, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24989-7