The identification and taxonomy of papillated leeches of the genus Placobdella have been extremely problematic, confounded by vague descriptions, redescriptions of species without reference to type material or type locality, and more than a century of numerous dubious taxonomic acts. Leeches collected on August 5 and 6, 2011, from North Dakota, USA, the type locality of Clepsine ornata rugosa Verrill, 1874, were determined to be conspecific with Placobdella rugosa (Verrill, 1874) Moore, 1901 on the basis of comparison to the syntype series. The acquisition of these specimens from the type locality facilitated resurrection and redescription of P. rugosa. Placobdella rugosa is similar to P. ali but differs in salivary gland morphology and ventral pigmentation. Molecular comparison of CO-I revealed differences of 16.1% between P. rugosa and P. ali.