Xeris

Xeris
Type species: X spectrum
X. morrisoni.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Siricidae
Genus: Xeris
A. Costa, 1894
Type species
Ichneumon spectrum
Linnaeus, 1758
Diversity
16 species
Synonyms
  • Neoxeris Saini & Dingh, 1987[1]

Xeris is a genus of horntails found in North America and Eurasia. Achille Costa circumscribed the genus in 1894.

Synonyms

In 1987, Malkiat S. Saini and Devinder Singh circumscribed a new genus, Neoxeris upon their description of a new species, which they called Neoxeris melanocephala.[1] In 2012, N. melanocephala was transferred to Xeris, making Neoxeris a junior synonym.[2] X. melanocephalus was later synonymized with X. himalayensis.[3]

Description

Characteristic features of Xeris compared to other genera of Siricidae genera include: a hind wing with which lacks a cell cup, a small vertical ridge behind the eye, and a metatibial spur.[3]: 36 

Distribution

Xeris species are found in North America and Eurasia. In North America, they're found from the boreal forests in Alaska and Canada south through Chiapas in southern Mexico. They are found in temperate and boreal regions of Eurasia as well as mountains of southern Eurasia including Morocco, India, China, and Taiwan.[3]: 42 

Species

As of 2015, Xeris consists of sixteen species:[3]

References

  1. ^ a b Saini, Malkiat S.; Singh, Devinder (1987). "A new genus and a new species of Siricinae (Insecta, Hymenoptera, Siricidae) from India with a revised key to its world genera". Zoologica Scripta. 16 (2): 177–180. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.1987.tb00064.x. S2CID 84234451.
  2. ^ Schiff, Nathan M.; Goulet, Henri; Smith, David R.; Boudreault, Caroline; Wilson, A. Dan; Scheffler, Brian E. (2012). "Siricidae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Siricoidea) of the Western Hemisphere". Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification. 21: 1–305. doi:10.3752/cjai.2012.21.
  3. ^ a b c d Coulet, Henri; Boudreauult, Caroline; Schiff, Nathan M. (2015). "Revision of the World species of Xeris Costa (Hymenoptera: Siricidae)". Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification. 28: 1–127. doi:10.3752/cjai.2015.28.