A Survey of the Leeches of Connecticut

This thesis is being archived as a Digitized Shelf Copy for campus access to current students and staff only. We currently cannot provide this open access without the author's permission. If you are the author of this work and desire to provide it open access or wish access removed please contact the Wahlstrom Library to discuss permission.In this survey of Connecticut leeches both collection techniques and procedures for permanent slide preparation are stressed. Methods of examining aquatic habitats for chemical and bacteriological content are reviewed. The twelve leech species found in this survey are described and a modified key has been constructed to these occurring in Connecticut. Included are feeding habits and water habitat characteristics. Geographic distribution within Connecticut is given for the listed species. A comparison is made of the species found in this survey with those reported by Verrill in 1872. Three leeches (Helobdella punctata-lineata, Placobdella multilineata, and Mooreobdella fervida) previously unreported for Connecticut were recovered