''Macrobdella'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

leech Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bodie ...

es native to

freshwater ecosystem Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, bogs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. Freshwater habitats can be ...

s of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

, especially

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The genus is commonly referred to as North American medicinal leeches.

Species

* ''

Macrobdella decora ''Macrobdella'' is a genus of leeches native to freshwater ecosystems of North America, especially Canada, Mexico, and the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or Am ...

'' (Say, 1824) * '' Macrobdella diplotertia'' Meyer, 1975 * ''Macrobdella'' ''ditetra'' Moore, 1953 * '' Macrobdella mimicus'' Phillips, Salas-Montiel, Kvist, Oceguera-Figueroa, 2019 * ''Macrobdella'' ''sestertia'' Whitman, 1886

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5169437 Leeches