- A new study published in the journal Biotropica says at least one species of terrestrial leech can jump.
- Researchers at Fordham University recorded footage during expeditions to Madagascar in 2017 and 2023.
- The footage shows leeches from the genus Chtonobdella coiling back on a leaf and then launching themselves, resembling a “back bending cobra” or a spring being pulled back. This motion contrasts with their usual inchworm-like movements.
- Paper identified the jumping leech as Chtonobdella fallax, a common species in Madagascar.
- Other worm-like invertebrates, such as legless larvae of gall midges, Mediterranean fruit flies, “skipper flies,” and several caterpillars, including Lymantria monachal and Orgyia leucostigma, can also jump.
- Although naturalists and leech biologists have long debated the ability of terrestrial leeches in the family Haemadipsidae to jump, there has been little concrete evidence until now.
- Understanding leech behaviour is crucial for conservation efforts, as leeches and their blood meals are increasingly used to survey vertebrate biodiversity.
Dig Deeper: Read about species under phylum Annelida.
