FIGURE 12 in Description and taxonomic analysis of a tuberculated turtle leech from the Outer Banks, North Carolina, USA, provisionally identified as Placobdella multilineata Moore, 1953 (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae)

FIGURE 12. This scheme summarises appearance of key tubercles during development of the Albemarle turtle leech. Depicted are dorsal views of a mid-body segment, comprised of three annuli a1, a2 and a3, respectively. A, pre-feeding embryo (5–7 mm). B, post-feeding juvenile (10–15 mm). C, heavily tuberculated adult (20–40 mm). The intermediate tubercles (ti) arise first on the a2 annulus, and remain most prominent throughout life. Soon thereafter, tubercles arise in medial position (tm) on the a2 annulus, and in paramedial position (tp) on the a3 annulus. The indicated tubercles constitute a flattened 'W' configuration on each segment (red dashes), a taxonomically useful character specific to this species at virtually all stages of its life cycle. Together these respective tubercles constitute five longitudinal rows on the dorsum (see also Fig. 15A, B).