DINA LINEATA

Order ARHYNCHOBDELLIDA

Family ERPOBDELLIDAE

Dina lineata (O.F. Müller, 1774)

Identification

Key, plus text and illustrations, is provided by Elliott and Dobson (2015).

Distribution

First recorded in Britain by Mann (1952). Widespread but localised distribution across Great Britain, with scattered records from Cornwall to Caithness. This species is possibly under-recorded with recent records from 89 hectads. Expected to occur in more than 100 hectads.

Habitat and ecology

Feeds on a variety of aquatic invertebrates, and dead or moribund fish and amphibians. Found in streams, rivers and lakes, and particularly associated with weedy ponds, wetlands and swamps.

Red dots are historical (> 10 years old), black dots current (<= 10 years old).