What is "hirudo"

Hirudo \Hi*ru"do\, n. [L., a leech.] (Zo["o]l.) A genus of leeches, including the common medicinal leech. See Leech.

Hirudo is a genus of leeches of the family Hirudinidae. It was described by Linnaeus in 1758.

There are two well-accepted species within the genus:

• Hirudo medicinalis Linnaeus, 1758
• Hirudo nipponia Whitman, 1886

Three other species, previously synonymized with Hirudo medicinalis, were described in 2005 and are gaining acceptance:

• Hirudo verbana
• Hirudo orientalis
• Hirudo troctina