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Issue: Vol. 5787 No. 2: 7 Apr. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-04-07
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.7
Page range: 345-363
Abstract views: 79
PDF downloaded: 9

A review of Chinese Xenidae (Insecta: Strepsiptera) with the description of two new record genera and one new species

College of Life Sciences; Nanjing Normal University; Nanjing 210023; China
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650201; China; College of Life Science and Technology; Northwestern Polytechnical University; Xian 710072; China
College of Plant Protection; China Agricultural University; Beijing; 100193; China
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution; Kunming Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming 650201; China"
Strepsiptera Asia Nipponoxenos Sphecidae Sphecixenos Twisted-wing parasite Vespidae wasp Xenos

Abstract

Xenidae represents the third largest family within the order Strepsiptera, comprising parasites of various wasps and hornets. In this study, we update the checklist of Chinese Xenidae by reporting two newly recorded genera, Nipponoxenos Kifune & Maeta, 1975 and Sphecixenos Benda, Pohl, Nakase, Beutel & Straka, 2022 in China. Additionally, three newly recorded species and one new species are described herein. The known Chinese Xenidae fauna now encompasses 13 species across six genera. The male cephalothecae of two species are described and illustrated for the first time, and in addition, we present the first molecular barcode records for Sphecixenos. These new morphological, molecular, and distributional data offer valuable insights into the diversity of Xenidae in Asia.

 

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How to Cite

Zheng, X., Zhou, Z., Zhang, Z. & Dong, Z. (2026) A review of Chinese Xenidae (Insecta: Strepsiptera) with the description of two new record genera and one new species. Zootaxa, 5787 (2), 345–363. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5787.2.7