Xenos americanus ( Brèthes, 1923 )

Benda, Daniel, Pohl, Hans, Beutel, Rolf & Straka, Jakub, 2022, Two new species of Xenos (Strepsiptera: Xenidae), parasites of social wasps of the genus Mischocyttarus (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in the New World, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 62 (1), pp. 185-195 : 192-193

Xenos americanus ( Brèthes, 1923)

( Fig. 5C )

Clypoxenos americanus Brèthes, 1923: 46 (original description, holotype not designated, location of syntypes unknown).Type locality: Bolivia. Xenos americanus ( Brèthes,1923) :BඈHൺඋඍ (1941):141 (new combination).

Diagnosis of female cephalothorax. Differing from Xenos bicolor sp. nov. and X. pallens sp. nov. by following characters. Cephalothorax almost entirely pale as in X. pallens sp. nov. but different from X. bicolor sp. nov. where posterior two thirds of cephalothorax are dark. Some parts of the cephalothorax, such as for instance the mouth opening distinctly sclerotized. Largest known species parasitizing wasps of Mischocyttarus : cephalothoracic length 1.43 mm, width 1.80 mm ( Fig. 5C ). Other two species distinctly smaller: X. bicolor sp. nov. (length 0.90–1.14 mm, width 1.12–1.24 mm), X. pallens sp. nov. (length: 0.80–0.86 mm, width 0.86–0.96 mm).

Description of female cephalothorax (modified from BඋජඍHൾඌ 1923). Shape and colouration. Cephalothoracic length 1.43 mm, width 1.80 mm; width at spiracles 1.76 mm; distance between mandibles 0.26 mm; maximum length of head capsule 1.51 mm. Cephalothorax wider

Key to Xenos species parasitizing wasps of the genus

Figures

Fig. 5. Schematic drawing of cephalothorax of all known Xenos species parasitizing wasps of the genus Mischocyttarus Saussure, 1853. A – X. bicolor Benda & Straka sp. nov.; B – X. pallens Benda & Straka sp. nov., C – X. americanus (Brèthes, 1923).