Issoca Explained

Issoca is a genus of land planarians 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. 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.^{[1] [2]}

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)

Notes and References

1. 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.
2. 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.