HAEMOPIS SANGUISUGA

Order ARHYNCHOBELLIDA

Family HAEMOPIDAE

Haemopis sanguisuga (Linnaeus, 1758)

Identification

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

Distribution

Widespread and locally common. Found throughout Great Britain with modern records from 94 hectads. Probably under-recorded.

Habitat and ecology

Feeds on molluscs, aquatic insect larvae, crustaceans and worms, or on dead or moribund animals such as fish and amphibians. Typically found along the shores of lakes and larger ponds with hard substrates. Occasionally also found in, or near the banks of streams and small rivers, and in ditches.

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

Image by Rachel Davies.