Using terrestrial leeches to assess the genetic diversity of an elusive species: The Annamite striped rabbit Nesolagus timminsi

Abstract

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The potential of aquatic haematophagous, liquidosomatophagous and macrophagous leeches as a tool for iDNA characterisation

“…Given that iDNA from leech gut contents can be used as a tool to monitor e.g. otherwise elusive and endangered vertebrates (Nguyen et al, 2021;Schnell et al, 2012), it is surprising that non-haemadipsid leeches have been almost completely neglected for this purpose (Williams et al, 2020).…”

“…in Erpobdella as in the present study, it is difficult to assess if the DNA detected is from the leech or from the diet. As has been shown for arthropods (Elbrecht et al, 2018) and recently with rabbit DNA within iDNA of leeches (Nguyen et al, 2021), one way to overcome this is to determine if the leech and diet haplotypes are fully conserved; if a certain haplotype can be evinced from non-gut tissue then seperate haplotypes within the ingesta can infer species-level cannibalism.…”

“…Similarly, members of the family Piscicolidae seem to show a preference for fish blood, including both Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes; however, some isolated records of leeches feeding on molluscs and crustaceans have been reported (López-Peraza et al, 2017;Nakano, 2017) indicating a broader dietary range. For terrestrial leeches detailed information is also lacking, or is even completely absent such as for the mexican terrestrial leech Diestecostoma mexicana, except for the family Haemadipsidae for which the diet is well studied as part of invertebrate derived DNA, or iDNA studies, which aim to monitor vertebrates through DNA detection in leech bloodmeals (Drinkwater et al, 2020;Fahmyet al, 2019;Nguyen et al, 2021;Schnell et al, 2018;Tessler et al, 2018).…”

“…The emerging molecular field of iDNA has contributed to the knowledge on leech diet and leech-derived iDNA is now used as a complementary tool to traditional vertebrate monitoring methods (Schnell et al, 2012;Ji et al, 2020). Such leechderived iDNA studies have focused almost exclusively on terrestrial bloodfeeding leeches, and in line with the geographical distribution of (Borda et al, 2008), they have been used to detect vertebrates in Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Japan), Africa (Madagascar) and Oceania (Australia and Tasmania) (Abrams et al, 2019;Drinkwater et al, 2018;Fahmy et al, 2019;Ji et al, 2020;Morishima et al, 2020;Nguyen et al, 2021;Schnell et al, 2018;Schnell et al, 2012;Tilker et al, 2020. As these haemadipsid leeches have an Indo-Pacific distribution, if iDNA from leeches is to be used for vertebrate monitoring elsewhere in the world, the vertebrate dietary range of non-haemadipsid leeches will need to be assessed, i.e.…”

The potential of aquatic bloodfeeding and nonbloodfeeding leeches as a tool for iDNA characterisation

“…The emerging field of iDNA has therefore contributed to the knowledge of leech diets and leech-derived iDNA is now used as a complementary tool in studies of vertebrate community composition (Schnell et al, 2012;Ji et al, 2020). Such studies have focused almost exclusively on terrestrial bloodfeeding leeches of the family Haemadipsidae (order Hirudiniformes) and have been leveraged to detect vertebrates across their geographic distribution (see Borda et al, 2008), including Asia (Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Japan), Africa (Madagascar) and Oceania (Australia and Tasmania) (Abrams et al, 2019;Drinkwater et al, 2019;Fahmy et al, 2019;Ji et al, 2020;Morishima et al, 2020;Nguyen et al, 2021;Schnell et al, 2012Schnell et al, , 2018Tilker et al, 2020). If iDNA from leeches is to be used for biodiversity monitoring elsewhere in the world, the dietary range of members of all other families, including aquatic bloodfeeding, predatory and fluid/tissue-feeding species, will also need to be assessed.…”