Zyzzyx
Encyclopedia
Zyzzyx is a monospecific
genus of sand wasp
, containing a brightly colored, medium-sized species, Z. chilensis. It is primarily a predator on flies
, but has been observed to consume skippers
. "Zyzzyx" is a replacement name proposed in 1937 by V. S. L. Pate for Therapon, originally described by J. Parker in 1929.
Monospecificity
In zoology, "monospecific" is an adjective describing a genus which contains only one known species. The term comes from the Greek prefix "μονο-" meaning "single" and Latin "species" meaning "kind" or "type". It is thus of hybrid origin....
genus of sand wasp
Sand wasp
The Bembicini, or Sand wasps, are a large tribe of crabronid wasps, comprising 20 genera. Bembicines are predators on various groups of insects. The type of prey captured tends to be rather consistent within each genus, with flies being the most common type of prey taken...
, containing a brightly colored, medium-sized species, Z. chilensis. It is primarily a predator on flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
, but has been observed to consume skippers
Skipper (butterfly)
A skipper or skipper butterfly is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. They are named after their quick, darting flight habits. There are more than 3500 recognized species of skippers and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in the Neotropical regions of Central and South...
. "Zyzzyx" is a replacement name proposed in 1937 by V. S. L. Pate for Therapon, originally described by J. Parker in 1929.