﻿Xenosyangi sp. nov.: A new twisted-wing parasite species (Strepsiptera, Xenidae) from Gaoligong Mountains, Southwest China.

Zhiwei Dong,Chuyang Mao,Jinwu He,Xingyue Liu,Xueyan Li

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1085.76484

Xenosyangi sp. nov.: A new twisted-wing parasite species (Strepsiptera, Xenidae) from Gaoligong Mountains, Southwest China.

Zhiwei Dong, Chuyang Mao + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1085.76484

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Abstract

Here we report a new twisted-wing parasite species of the family Xenidae based on both morphological and molecular evidence. By using nearly complete mitogenomes, we confirmed the twisted-wing parasites on two wasps (Vespavelutina and Vespabicolor) (China: Yunnan) as the same species, and associated its neotenic females and alate males. Combining the mitogenomic data (COI) and morphological traits, this species was identified to be a new species of the genus Xenos, namely Xenosyangi Dong, Liu & Li, sp. nov. Detailed descriptions and illustrations are provided for the new species.

Highlights

Strepsiptera are obligate endoparasites of silverfish, cockroaches, mantids, orthopterans, hemipterans, wasps, bees and flies, and they comprise about 630 species in 15 families (Kathirithamby 2018)
We assembled nearly complete mitogenomes of one male adult collected from a V. velutina nest (15324 bp) (GenBank accession number: OK329871) and one neotenic female collected from a V. bicolor nest (14670 bp) (GenBank accession number: OK32987)
The mitogenome of male adult was annotated as 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes and two ribosomal RNA genes and an A+T-rich region, while only 36 mitogenomic genes were annotated in the incomplete mitogenome sequence of the neotenic female

Summary

Introduction

Strepsiptera are obligate endoparasites of silverfish, cockroaches, mantids, orthopterans, hemipterans, wasps, bees and flies, and they comprise about 630 species in 15 families (Kathirithamby 2018). Species in four genera (Paragioxenos Ogloblin, 1923; Paraxenos Saunders, 1872; Pseudoxenos Saunders, 1872; Xenos Rossius, 1793) (Pohl and Beutel 2008; Cook 2014; Benda et al 2019). The genus Xenos is one of the twisted-wing insects parasitic on eusocial wasps (Pohl and Beutel 2008; Kathirithamby 2018) and contains 41 species worldwide Xenos vesparum Rossius, 1793, which is the type species of both this genus and all strepsipteran insects (Rossius 1793), is a well-studied species with abundant data on its morphology and biology (Kifune and Maeta 1985; Manfredini et al 2007; Nakase and Kato 2013; Richter et al 2017)

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