Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 24, 2026

Haemadipsa

Haemadipsa is a genus of leeches, with members commonly known as jawed land leeches. These annelids are known from subtropical and tropical regions around the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Well-known Haemadipsa are for example the Indian Leech and the yamabiru or Japanese Mountain Leech. Members of the genus feed on blood. They are troublesome to humans and animals especially because their bites result in prolonged bleeding.

Last revised
Jun 24, 2026
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Haemadipsa
Tiger leech in Borneo, Malaysia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Clade: Pleistoannelida
Clade: Sedentaria
Class: Clitellata
Subclass: Hirudinea
Order: Arhynchobdellida
Family: Haemadipsidae
Genus: Haemadipsa
Tennent, 1859
Species

See text

Haemadipsa is a genus of leeches, with members commonly known as jawed land leeches. These annelids are known from subtropical and tropical regions around the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Well-known Haemadipsa are for example the Indian Leech (Haemadipsa sylvestris) and the yamabiru or Japanese Mountain Leech (Haemadipsa zeylanica). Members of the genus feed on blood.1 They are troublesome to humans and animals especially because their bites result in prolonged bleeding.2

Species

As of 2025, the genus Haemadipsa includes:34

  1. Haemadipsa crenata Ngamprasertwong, 2007
  2. Haemadipsa hainana (Song, Zhang et Tan, 1977) - Hainan Island, China
  3. Haemadipsa interrupta Moore, 1935 - Thailand
  4. Haemadipsa japonica Yang, 1996
  5. Haemadipsa limuna
  6. Haemadipsa montana Moore, 1927
  7. Haemadipsa morsitans Blanchard, 1917
  8. Haemadipsa ornata Moore, 1927
  9. Haemadipsa picta Moore, 1929 (Tiger leech)
  10. Haemadipsa rjukjuana Oka, 1910 - Taiwan
  11. Haemadipsa sumatrana Horst, 18835 - Borneo, Sumatra
  12. Haemadipsa sylvestris Blanchard, 1894 - India, Indochina, Malesia
  13. Haemadipsa trimaculosa Ngamprasertwong, 2007
  14. Haemadipsa yanyuanensis Liu & Song, 1977 - Sichuan, Yunnan
  15. Haemadipsa zeylanica (Moquin-Tandon, 1827) (Japanese mountain leech) - may contain subspecies: H. zeylanica japonica
    H. zeylanica cochiniana6
Moved elsewhere
References

References

  1. Haemadipsidae
  2. "Medical Definition of HAEMADIPSA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  3. "Haemadipsa Tennent, 1859". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  4. Encyclopedia of Life. "Details for: Haemadipsa ". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2013-07-23.
  5. Mangunjaya, F. M (1985) Mengenal Pacet (Haemadipsa sylvestris Blanchard), dan Kemungkinannya untuk Pengobatan. llmu dan Budaya VII: (3), 178-187.
  6. "Haemadipsa zeylanica cochiniana | Smithsonian Institution". www.si.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-09.