Abstract
A new glossiphoniid leech was collected from Assiut, Egypt. Both external morphology and internal anatomy have been examined. Alboglossiphonia levis n. sp. is placed in the genus Alboglossiphonia under the disjuncta-group on the basis of having three pairs of eyes, diffuse salivary cells, seven pairs of crop caeca and the eggs are attached directly to the venter of the parent. The new species, as most of species of the genus Alboglossiphonia, revealed a combination of the following characters; its greenish color, seven pairs of branchiate crop caeca and the gonopores are separated by two annuli, but it is characterized by the absence of papillae on the body surface and presence of four pairs of testisacs. The life history of A. levis was studied in the laboratory. Hatching occurred within 10–15 days of laying egg and the hatchlings were attached to the parent's venter by their posterior suckers. After another four weeks, young could leave their parent, grew and matured. Four months old leeches are able to lay eggs. The leech reproduces once during its life history in the laboratory which takes about six months. A. levis displayed well developed parental care where the parent protects their young and also feeds them. Feeding and other ecological observations were described.References
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