Xeris

''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''. In 2012, ''N. melanocephala'' was transferred to ''Xeris'', making ''Neoxeris'' a junior synonym. ''X. melanocephalus'' was later synonymized with ''X. himalayensis''.

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.

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.

Species

, ''Xeris'' consists of sixteen species:

''X. caudatus''

'' Xeris caudatus'' was initially placed in the genus ''Urocerus'' by Ezra Townsend Cresson in his species description. Its type locality is the Colorado Territory.

''X. chiricahua''

'' Xeris chiricahua'' was described by David R. Smith. Its type locality is Rustler Park, Chiricahua Mountains, Arizona.

''X. cobosi''

'' Xeris cobosi'' was first described by M. G. de Viedma and F. J. Suárez as a subspecies of ''X. spectrum''. It was moved to the species level in 2015. Its type locality is Tizi-Ifri, Morocco.

''X. degrooti''

'' Xeris degrooti'' was described in 2015 by Henri Goulet. It is named in honor of Peter de Groot. Its type locality is Pennington County, South Dakota.

''X. himalayensis''

'' Xeris himalayensis''
was described by James Chester Bradley in 1934. Its type locality is Deoban, Chakrata, India. In 2015, it became considered the senior synonym of ''X. melanocephalus'' , whose type locality is Dalhousie, India.

''X. indecisus''

'' Xeris indecisus'' was initially described by MacGillivray as a species in ''Urocerus''. Its type locality is near Olympia, Washington. T. C. Maa classified it as a subspecies of ''X. morrisoni'' in 1949, but in 2012 it was reinstated to the species level.

''X. malaisei''

'' Xeris malaisei'' was initially described as a subspecies of ''X. spectrum'', but was promoted to the species level in 2015.

''X. melancholicus''

'' Xeris melancholicus'' was described by John O. Westwood, who placed it in the genus ''Sirex''. He listed the type locality as "America Septentrionalis".

''X. morrisoni''

''Xeris morrisoni'' was described by Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1880; he initially placed it in the genus ''Urocerus''.

''X. pallicoxae''

''Xeris pallicoxae'' was described by Henri Goulet in 2015. The specific name means "pale coxae".

''X. spectrum''

'' Xeris spectrum'' was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Costa designated it to be the type species of ''Xeris''.

''X. tarsalis''

''Xeris tarsalis'' was described by Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1880. Its type locality is Washington Territory, and Cresson initially placed it in the genus ''Urocerus''.

''X. tropicalis''

''Xeris tropicalis'' was described by Henri Goulet in 2012. Its type locality is San Cristobal de las Casas, in southern Mexico; the specific name ''tropicalis'' "tropical" reflects its habitat.

''X. umbra''

''Xeris umbra'' was described by Henri Goulet in 2015; its type locality is Yunnan Province, China and its name ''umbra'' "shadow" refers to the species' dark color.

''X. xanthoceros''

''Xeris xanthoceros''
was described by Henri Goulet in 2015. Its specific name means "yellow horn", referring to the female's flagellum. The type locality is Yunnan, China.

''X. xylocola''

''Xeris xylocola'' was described by Henri Goulet in 2015. The specific name means "living in wood". Its type locality is Houaphanh Province, Laos.

References

Siricidae
Taxa named by Achille Costa

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