Xenos is a genus of insects belonging to the family Xenidae. The word derives from the Greek word for strange. The type species of the genus is Xenos vesparum, first described by Pietro Rossi in 1793. The females are permanent entomophagous endoparasites of Polistes paper wasps, spending their whole lives in the wasp's abdomen.
Species
These 33 species belong to the genus Xenos:
- Xenos afer <small>Pasteels, 1950</small> (Africa)
- Xenos americanus <small>(Brèthes, 1923) </small>(South America)
- Xenos argentinus <small>Brèthes, 1923</small> (South America)
- Xenos boharti <small>Hofmann, 1965</small> (South America)
- Xenos bohlsi <small>Hoffmann, 1914</small> (South America)
- Xenos bonairensis <small>Brèthes, 1923</small> (South America)
- Xenos circularis <small>Kifune & Maeta, 1985</small> (Asia)
- Xenos colombiensis <small>Cook, Mayorga-Ch & Sarmiento, 2020</small>
- Xenos dianshuiwengi <small>Yang, 1999</small>
- Xenos formosanus <small>Kifune & Maeta, 1985</small> (Asia)
- Xenos hamiltoni <small>Kathirithamby & Hughes, 2006</small> (Central America and Mexico)
- Xenos hebraei <small>Kinzelbach, 1978</small> (Palearctic)
- Xenos hospitus <small>Oliveira & Kogan, 1962</small> (South America)
- Xenos hunteri <small>(Pierce, 1909)</small> (North America)
- Xenos indespectus <small>Oliveira & Kogan, 1962</small> (South America)
- Xenos iviei <small>Kifune, 1983</small>
- Xenos kifunei <small>Cook & Mathison, 1997</small> (North America)
- Xenos moutoni <small>Buysson, 1903</small> (Southern Asia and temperate Asia)
- Xenos niger <small>Pasteels, 1950</small> (Africa)
- Xenos nigrescens <small>Brues, 1903</small> (North America and South America)
- Xenos oxyodontes <small>Nakase & Kato, 2013</small> (Southern Asia)
- Xenos pallidus <small>Brues, 1903</small> (North America)
- Xenos peckii <small>Kirby, 1813</small>
- Xenos peruensis <small>Kifune, 1979</small> (South America)
- Xenos provesparum <small>Kifune, 1986</small> (Southern Asia and tropical Asia)
- Xenos ropalidiae <small>(Kinzelbach, 1975)</small>
- Xenos rostratus <small>Trois, 1984</small> (South America)
- Xenos rubiginosi <small>(Pierce, 1909)</small> (North America)
- Xenos stuckenbergi <small>Pasteels, 1956</small> (Africa)
- Xenos vesparum <small>Rossi, 1793</small> (Palearctic and Africa)
- Xenos yamaneorum <small>Kifune & Maeta, 1985</small> (Asia)
- Xenos yangi <small>Dong, Liu & Li, 2022</small>
- Xenos zavattarii <small>(Pierce, 1911)</small> (Africa)
References