See text Iolaea is a genus of small sea snails, pyramidellid gastropod mollusks in the tribe Chrysallidini within the family Pyramidellidae.

The original description (A. Adams 1860) of the genus Iole (later emended to Iolaea because the name was preoccupied) is: "Testa turrito-subulata, umbilicata; anfractibus convexiusculis, transversim sulcatis, sulcis subdistantibus, interstitiis longitudinaliter concinne striatis.

"[3] Adams description from 1867 is as follows: "Testa tenuis, turbinato-turrita, umbilicata, seu rimata; anfractibus sculptis, convexis, transversim liratis; apertura ovata; plica parietali obsoleta aut celata."

Since then, however, I have succeeded in obtaining both I. scitula and another species, I. amabilis, in greater abundance; and I find that on breaking some examples the parietal plica exists, but it is entirely concealed.

[1] The original description of the type species is (A. Adams 1860): "I. testa subulato-turrita, profunde umbilicata, alba, solidiuscula; anfractibus sex, convexiusculis, transversim sulcatis, sulcis subdistantibus, interstitiis longitudinaliter concinne striatis; apertura oblonga, antice rotundata, postice acuminata; labio simplici; labro margine acuto.