''Issoca'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
land planarian
Geoplanidae is a family of flatworms known commonly as land planarians or land flatworms.
These flatworms are mainly predators of other invertebrates, which they hunt, attack and capture using physical force and the adhesive and digestive proper ...
s found in Brazil.
Description
Species of the genus ''Issoca'' are characterized by the presence of a spoon-shaped head having a cephalic retractor muscle, which allows those animals to pull their anterior end upwards and backwards. Associated to the muscle are cephalic glands, forming a so-called cephalic musculo-glandular organ in a way similar to the one found in the genera ''
Choeradoplana'' and ''
Luteostriata
''Luteostriata'' is a genus of land planarians from Brazil characterized by a yellow body with dark longitudinal stripes.
Description
The genus ''Luteostriata'' is characterized by the presence of a cephalic retractor muscle, which allows thos ...
''. The
copulatory apparatus usually lacks a permanent penis papilla, i. e., the penis is formed during copulation by folds in the male cavity which are pushed outwards.
[Froehlich, C. G. (1955). ''Sobre Morfologia e Taxonomia das Geoplanidae.'' Boletim da Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras da Universidade de São Paulo, Série Zoologia. 19: 195-279.][Carbayo, F. (2010). ''A new genus for seven Brazilian land planarian species, split off from'' Notogynaphalia ''(Platyhelminthes, Tricladida).'' Belgian Journal of Zoology. 140: 91-101.]
Etymology
The name ''Issoca'' comes from
Tupi ''içoca'' (worm, maggot).
Species
There are five described species in the genus ''Issoca'':
*''
Issoca assanga''
Araujo & Carbayo, 2018
*''
Issoca jandaia''
Froehlich, 1955
*''
Issoca piranga''
Froehlich, 1955
*''
Issoca potyra''
Froehlich, 1957
*''
Issoca rezendei''
(Schirch, 1929)
*''
Issoca spatulata''
( Graff, 1899)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q18586654
Geoplanidae
Platyhelminthes of Brazil
Rhabditophora genera