GLOSSIPHONIA FERGHANENSIS SP. NOV. (ANNELIDA, HIRUDINIDA, GLOSSIPHONIIDAE): A NEW LEECH SPECIES FROM THE FERGHANA VALLEY, UZBEKISTAN

Khayrulla Solijonov; Zuvayd Izzatullaev; Abdurakhim Kuchboev; Farrukh Umarov

doi:10.26842/binhm.7.2026.19.1.0059

Authors

Khayrulla Solijonov Department of Ecology and Sustainable Development, Andijan State University, Andijan, Republic of Uzbekistan
Zuvayd Izzatullaev Research Institute of Environment and Nature Conservation Technologies, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan
Abdurakhim Kuchboev Department of Ecology and Life Safety, Samarkand State University, Samarkand, Republic of Uzbekistan
Farrukh Umarov Institute of Zoology, Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Republic of Uzbekistan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2026.19.1.0059

Keywords:

COI gene, Ferghana Valley, Leeches, Morphology, mtDNA.

Abstract

A new freshwater malacophagous leech belonging to the Glossiphoniidae Vaillant, 1890 family was found in a spring in the Ferghana Valley. In this study, we describe the morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding gene of a new leech, Glossiphonia ferghanensis sp. nov. (Annelida, Hirudinida, Glossiphoniidae) are reported. This species differs from all other leeches of Glossiphonia Johnson, 1816 in coloration, the absence of papillae and paramedial rows on the dorsal surface. According to COI sequences, it was found to be a sister species with a specimen of Glossiphonia concolor (Apathy, 1888) recorded from the Taimyr Peninsula Region of Northern Russia. The analysis revealed that this species is a new glossiphoniid leech recorded from Uzbekistan.