User:Freighttrain/Dictum on Xenomorph Hive Dynamics

( Updated as of 07/02/2022 )

Contact e-mail : freighttrain@email.com

'Alien is a live-action film, print media and video game franchise, featuring hyperaggressive endoparasitoid extraterrestrial organisms known as Xenomorphs, which began with the 1979 science fiction horror film Alien'', starring Sigourney Weaver. It also often appears in crossover media with the Predator franchise.'''

Hello discerning AvP fans, in this blog post I evaluate and suggest new nomenclature for the official names of several Xenomorph varieties, as well as speculate on the Xenomorph hive and caste dynamics, that encompass the coordinated societal functions of all of the standard castes and other varieties, that I have listed as canonical and which can be found categorized in section 6 of this post.

And be sure to see my comprehensive USCM arsenal and speculative analysis on the Yautja, also any anime/mecha fans reading this might be interested in my posts regarding topics from the Gundam and Zoids franchises.

Comprehensive contents :
 * 1) Notes
 * 2) Xenopedia's recent attempted merge of the Drone and Warrior castes...
 * 3) What a Xenomorph 'caste' specifically is and is not
 * 4) Reassignment of previously auxiliary castes to inclusion in metamorphic chains
 * 1) Revised nomenclature
 * 2) General terminology:
 * 3) Mesoskeleton → Exoskeleton
 * 4) Dorsal spines → Dorsal tubes
 * 5) 'Praetorian' (caste prefix) → Superadultus
 * 6) 'Praetorian' (caste prefix) → Hyperadultus
 * 7) Hull blades → Breacher talons
 * 8) Standard Xenomorph caste variants:
 * 9) Early life cycle
 * 10) Praetorian Egg → Praetorian Ovomorph
 * 11) Royal Facehugger Egg → Queen Ovomorph
 * 12) Hyperfertile Egg → Hyperfertile Ovomorph
 * 13) Royal Facehugger → Queen Facehugger
 * 14) Adult castes
 * 15) Lurker → Venator
 * 16) Raven → Vanguard
 * 17) Warrior Dome → Tirone
 * 18) Subterranean Xenomorph → Fossorial Warrior
 * 19) Warrior Carved → Hardened Warrior
 * 20) Evolved Warrior → Adapted Warrior
 * 21) (Acid spraying variety) → Sputative Warrior
 * 22) (Regenerative variety) → Epimorphic Warrior
 * 23) (Camouflaging variety) → Chameleonic Warrior
 * 24) (Aliens:) Defiance Alien → Lictor type A (moulted)
 * 25) Royal Guard → Lictor type B (spawned)
 * 26) Praetorian → Praetorian Guard
 * 27) Ravager → Corvus
 * 28) Colossal Ravager → Heavy Corvus
 * 29) Carrier → Pontifex
 * 30) Super Carrier → Heavy Pontifex
 * 31) Queen → Queen regnant
 * 32) War Empress → Imperatrix
 * 33) Empress (w/o matured King) → Queen regent
 * 34) Empress (w/ matured King) → Queen consort
 * 35) Empress (w/ deceased King) → Queen dowager
 * 36) Queen Mother → Empress
 * 37) Xenomorphs Spawned From Nonhuman Hosts:
 * 38) Runner → Scout
 * 39) Crusher → Aries
 * 40) Altered Xenomorph Varieties:
 * 41) Sewer Mutation Warrior Alien → Icteric sewer Warrior
 * 42) Red Xenomorphs → Erythristic Xenomorphs
 * 43) Pink Ovormorph → Rhodistic Ovomorph
 * 44) Spliced Xenomorphs → Weaponized Xenomorphs
 * 45) Smasher → Bruiser
 * 46) Defender → Captor
 * 47) Arachnoid → Springer
 * 48) Razor Claws → Butcher
 * 49) Chrysalis → Juggernaut
 * 50) Operation: Aliens Flying Queen → Octopodal flying Queen regent
 * 1) Xenomorph Caste/Type Dynamics
 * 2) Standard castes
 * 3) Praetorian Ovomorph/Facehugger
 * 4) Drones and Warriors
 * 5) Speculation on the function of dorsal tubes
 * 6) Vanguard
 * 7) Praetorian Guard
 * 8) Queen
 * 9) The unfeasibility of winged Xenomorph Queens
 * 10) King
 * 11) Altered Xenomorph varieties
 * 12) General Bush's engineered Xenomorphs
 * 13) Metamorphic chains
 * 14) Drone
 * 15) Drone → Venator → Vanguard → Palatine
 * 16) Warrior
 * 17) Tirone → Warrior → Lictor type A → Praetorian Guard → King / Queen regnant → Queen regent
 * 18) Xenomorph Hive Dynamics
 * 19) Juvenile, Superadultus, Hyperadultus and Royal castes
 * 20) Advanced territory/population castes
 * 21) War castes
 * 22) Xenomorph warfare
 * 1) Xenomorph XX121 Provenance and Gender Classification
 * 2) Xenomorph provenance and ultimate purpose
 * 3) Xenomorph gender classification
 * 4) Queen = Asexual
 * 5) Facehugger = Male
 * 6) (All other varieties) = Genderless
 * 7) My Headcanon Xenomorph Classification System
 * 8) Abridged contents
 * 9) Standard Xenomorph Caste Variants
 * 10) Xenomorphs Spawned From Nonhuman Hosts
 * 11) Altered Xenomorph Varieties

Revised nomenclature
I have changed the names of some Xenomorph varieties to better suit what I believe their function is, and also to be more closely aligned with preexisting nomenclature (Praetorian, Palatine etc.), especially as the names of some varieties sound crude and 'StarCrafty' ( 'Crusher', 'Lurker' etc.), while the names of others; such as General Bush's engineered Xenomorphs; just don't describe their function well or at all.

The purpose of this is not to simply replace terminology with better sounding words, but to instead preserve and enhance the preexisting combination of nomenclature, from both eusocial insect castes and ancient Roman military terminology, that has become characteristic of the Alien franchise.

Standard Xenomorph castes

 * Praetorian Ovomorph/Facehugger : There is more than one way that Praetorian Guards can occur within a Xenomorph hive, under normal circumstances other Xenomorph castes; such as Warriors and Drones (a less likely candidate caste for moulting into a Lictor type A); would metamorphose into Lictor type As and then Praetorian Guards. However in the context of a Xenomorph hive defending against a dire threat, a quicker method of creating Praetorian Guards may be necessary, and this would be accomplished by the hive's Queen laying special Ovomorphs containing Praetorian Facehuggers, that impregnate hosts to spawn Xenomorphs, which then develop into a Praetorian Guard more quickly than a Drone or Warrior would be able to metamorphose into one (spawned Lictor (type B) vs. moulted Lictor (type A)).
 * Drones and Warriors: Drones and Warriors are two distinct castes of Xenomorph XX121, Drones are not juvenile Warriors (Tirones) and are instead analogically the 'worker ants' of a Xenomorph hive, and have developed physiologically to better fulfil this role (faster production of hive webbing etc.), while Warriors are analogically the 'soldier ants' of a Xenomorph hive, and have likewise developed physiologically to best fulfil their different role (heightened aggression, stronger exoskeletal carapace etc.), however, Drones are capable of metamorphosing into Warriors and Warriors into Drones.
 * Speculation on the function of dorsal tubes : Despite never having been seen to fulfil any kind of function; other than as the spiracle-like parts of a Xenomorph's respiratory system; by their appearance and due to Xenomorph XX121 being a genetically engineered bioweapon, an apt secondary function of the dorsal tubes would be to quickly emit thick, dark, incapacitating/deadly smoke, to both obscure the Xenomorph from view as well as assist in the incapacitation of potential hosts, or just kill them outright depending on the situation (for purposes of either incapacitating or killing but not needing to obscure themselves from their targets, Xenomorphs may be able to release the incapacitating or lethal chemicals as a colourless, odourless gas), while allowing the Xenomorph with its advanced nonvisual senses to remain aware of its surroundings. This kind of ability would not be too difficult for the Mala'kak to have produced in their bioweapon, due to their prowess in advanced genetic engineering and biotechnology.
 * Vanguard : I believe that the function of the Vanguard (formerly known as the 'Raven') in a Xenomorph hive, is inverse to that of a Praetorian Guard, i.e instead of guarding the Xenomorph hive or rather the Queen in particular, the Vanguard's (Raven's) purpose is as a hive outer-perimeter patrol/ambush type caste. I reckon this as it has characteristics in common with Venators (Lurkers), which are an ambush caste and in Aliens: Colonial Marines it is encountered in an area beneath the Xenomorph hive proper, indicating to me that it may have been patrolling that area to ensure that the hive's three dimensional perimeter would not be breached from below, and it would also probably function as a single organism instead of in coordinated groups like other castes.
 * Praetorian Guard : While Praetorian Guards can metamorphose from castes such as Drones and Warriors, this can only occur when there is a Xenomorph Queen to direct them to do so, and which would likely also secrete the royal jelly or similar substance for them that such a metamorphosis would require.
 * Queen : A Xenomorph Queen can only occur by being spawned from a host impregnated by a Royal Facehugger, they cannot metamorphose from any other caste except Praetorian Guards which can only occur with a Queen anyway. This is certain as it is fundamental to the hunting practises of the Yautja, that they know exactly how many Xenomorphs would be spawned in an area they have seeded with Ovomorphs, so as to prevent a Xenomorph infestation as the result of a failed hunt etc. from 'xenoforming'/destroying an entire ecosystem or even continent. The Yautja have technology able to detect Royal Facehugger Ovomorphs laid by captive Xenomorph Queens, and destroy or separate them from the Ovomorphs they do use to seed an area for Xenomorph hunting. Though of course there would be 'wild' Xenomorph Queens, and also specific hunts where the Yautja would have seeded an area with a Queen Xenomorph so that a Queen hunt could occur, though obviously the hunting party would know exactly how to go about doing so, as to prevent a Xenomorph population overspill beyond what they would be able to contain, such as using islands or regions isolated by vast barren areas with no suitable host species/nourishment etc. as hunting grounds.
 * The unfeasibility of winged Xenomorph Queens : While there have been a few winged Xenomorph Queens featured in the expanded universe, the likelihood of a Xenomorph Queen developing a winged or rather a flight capable morphology is unlikely, as the primary purpose of a Xenomorph Queen is to become a large and mostly immobile egg-layer, defended by Praetorian Guards and ministered to by Drones who also construct the hive proper, which is itself defended primarily by Warriors. So it is clear that there is little reason for a Xenomorph Queen to develop a flight-capable morphology, as under natural circumstances it is rare for a Xenomorph Queen to do something other than lay Ovomorphs, such as defending the hive etc., and in such an instance it would usually undergo a relatively minor physiological combat adaptation (thickened carapace etc.) and develop into an Imperatrix. It is possible and even likely that the Queen caste was purposely designed to remain largely unaffected by the DNA reflex (see also the 'purebreed' and 'transbreed' Xenomorph classification mentioned in Aliens versus Predator: Extinction ) which determines a significant proportion of the morphology in lesser castes, this may be so that the potency of the 'pure' Xenomorph strain is not gradually altered by successive generations of Xenomorph Queens, featuring varying morphology due to the type of host creature of either the Queen Chestburster or the metamorphosing Praetorian Guard etc. Though I don't see how the Ovomorph stage could simply have been designed to remain unchanged regardless of the Queen's morphology, so this is all still conjecture and due to the limitations on what host characteristics are inherited via the DNA reflex, only a chiropteran or pterosaur-like host could spawn a Xenomorph that may be flight capable, as the feathers of an avian host creature would not likely not be inherited or functionally approximated in any way.
 * King : As Xenomorph Kings are only known to be found in the largest hives, they would moult from Praetorian Guards, and most likely under conditions similar to those that would necessitate a Queen regnant to moult into a Queen regent. So under normal hive territory/population development conditions, the Xenomorph King would be moulted some time after a Queen regent, as the Queen regent caste is more relevant to the dynamics of an expanding Xenomorph hive, with the Xenomorph King being more of a territorial consolidation / aggressive expansion caste, due to its immense and readily available combat capability.

Altered Xenomorph varieties

 * General Bush's engineered Xenomorphs : These five varieties of engineered Xenomorphs would have been developed to lessen the two primary weaknesses of Xenomorphs and build on one of their strengths, these two weaknesses are the capture of enough suitable hosts by causing as less fatalities as possible during the host acquisition phase ( Bruiser, Captor and possibly Juggernaut ) and the susceptibility of Xenomorphs to ranged weapons over open terrain ( Juggernaut ), with the strength being their aptitude for ambushes and shock assaults ( Springer and Butcher ). Also while three of these engineered varieties feature colours other than black, dark blue or grey, it would be best if only the Butcher has a different coloured carapace, with it being bright red (it's already pink anyway) to augment its ability to shock its enemies in a similar fashion to how the ninja of feudal Japan were known to wear bright red coloured outerwear at night as the colour red appears as black in a dark environment and this was particularly effective when attacking enemies around a campfire etc. as the sudden appearance of a sword-wielding assailant garbed in bright red could stun enemies and make them easier targets.

Drone
Drone → Venator → Vanguard → Palatine

Warrior
Tirone → Warrior → Lictor type A → Praetorian Guard → King / Queen regnant → Queen regent

* The two Xenomorph varieties in smaller font are juvenile castes, and are only included here for a more comprehensive context.

Juvenile, Adult, Superadultus, Hyperadultus and Royal castes

 * Juvenile castes :
 * Tirone — Juvenile Warrior
 * Lictor type A — Juvenile Praetorian Guard
 * Lictor type B — Juvenile Praetorian Guard


 * Adult castes :
 * Drone
 * Venator
 * Warrior
 * Fossorial Warrior
 * Hardened Warrior
 * Adapted Warrior
 * Sputative Warrior
 * Epimorphic Warrior
 * Chameleonic Warrior


 * Superadultus castes :
 * Vanguard — Superadultus Venator
 * Praetorian Guard — Superadultus (any lesser adult caste when moulted from a Lictor type A)
 * Aries — Superadultus Scout
 * Gorilla spawned Xenomorph (Aliens: Infestation) — Superadultus Gorilla spawned Xenomorph


 * Hyperadultus castes :
 * Palatine — Hyperadultus Drone
 * Corvus — Hyperadultus Praetorian Guard
 * Heavy Corvus — (See Corvus)
 * Pontifex — Hyperadultus Praetorian Guard
 * Heavy Pontifex — (See Pontifex)


 * Royal castes :
 * Queen Ovomorph
 * Queen Facehugger
 * Queen regnant
 * Imperatrix
 * Queen regent/consort/dowager
 * King
 * Empress

Advanced territory/population castes
There are five Xenomorph castes that only occur when a hive has a large enough population/territory, and on such a scale these five castes; throughout a normal hive development process; would occur in this order.
 * Lictor type A
 * Praetorian Guard
 * Vanguard
 * Queen regent
 * King

War castes
War castes are Xenomorph castes that are only spawned/metamorphosed when a Xenomorph hive is either defending itself against a dire threat, or expanding into territory with strong resistance such as human military.
 * Early life cycle war castes:
 * Praetorian Ovomorph*
 * Hyperfertile Ovomorph*
 * Praetorian Facehugger*
 * Juvenile war castes:
 * Lictor type B*
 * Adult war castes:
 * Venator
 * Hardened Warrior
 * Adapted Warrior
 * Sputative Warrior
 * Epimorphic Warrior
 * Chameleonic Warrior
 * Superadultus war castes:
 * Aries
 * Hyperadultus war castes:
 * Corvus
 * Heavy Corvus
 * Pontifex*
 * Heavy Pontifex*
 * Royal war castes:
 * Imperatrix*

* The Xenomorphs marked with an asterisk after their names, are spawned/metamorphosed to quickly bolster numbers while in defense of a hive, rather than during aggressive expansion.

Xenomorph warfare
Conflict between human military forces and Xenomorph XX121 is an extreme example of tactically asymmetric warfare. When assaulting a Xenomorph hive the element of surprise is easily the most important advantage as with this, a human military can control the beginning size of the battlefield (which could rapidly expand to include preprepared ambushes of various kinds at critical locations etc. if a hive has foreknowledge of an invasion or nearby enemy-held territory) and could expect to face only a force of Scouts and standard Warriors, and then Drones and Facehuggers as their forces dwindle and the hive is penetrated, while possibly facing off against Scouts and/or a Vanguard(s) at the hive's outer perimeter as a first encounter.

Otherwise if a Xenomorph hive is aware of a strong nearby enemy presence or incoming assault, it would have begun moulting war castes and depending on factors such as how long the Xenomorph hive has been aware and how developed it is, a human military could then expect to be first assaulted by Scouts and one or more Vanguards in a preemptive shock assault strike, and then ambushed by any combination of Scouts, Venators, Vanguards, Chameleonic Warriors and 'ambush clutches' (concealed Ovomorph clusters) as they push forward toward the hive, before facing off against a primary force of Hardened Warriors, with Sputative Warriors at choke points etc. where they can quickly inflict massive damage with their broad acid spray.

Among the ranks of the main force of Hardened Warriors, a human military could also expect there to be a few Epimorphic Warriors to play dead, and then perform surprise attacks from the rear after human soldiers have pushed forward, and if any vehicles are present then one could also expect to encounter the large and destructive Corvus caste, with its huge tank-busting 'breacher talons' as well as the battering ram-like Aries, and if a hive is particularly advanced then there is even the possibility of assault by the immense and devastatingly powerful Xenomorph King, indicating that there is also a Queen consort present.

If a human military has done well and the Xenomorph hive is on the defensive, then the Queen itself may undergo a combat adaptation, and engage in warfare outside of the hive as an Imperatrix escorted by several Praetorian Guards, Lictors and Sputative Warriors, with Pontifices taking advantage of the distraction by capturing potential hosts away from the main fighting, though at this point the Xenomorphs would likely have begun employing a Fabian strategy by attempting to distract, misdirect and whittle down the main enemy force with as little risk to their own forces as possible, this is where Epimorphic Warriors are most useful (Facehuggers will also be encountered more frequently as both distraction fodder, and for the chance of bolstering a hive's numbers) as the same few Warriors can continue to be used again and again, while the hive is prepared with further ambush clutches (positioned Ovomorph clutches), and adult castes begin moulting into Lictors and Praetorian Guards. At this point; depending on the human military's aggression and the location of the hive; it is likely that the Xenomorphs would attempt to take the fight into their hive where they have several advantages.

Once inside the hive, one can expect to be ambushed by Venators, Chameleonic Warriors, Sputative Warriors (as they are most effective in the often cramped hive environment) Facehuggers and ambush clutches, as well as any remaining Hardened Warriors before encountering the Queen or Imperatrix and its cohort of hyperaggressive Praetorian Guards and Lictors.

Xenomorph provenance and ultimate purpose
My perspective on the provenance of Xenomorph XX121 (Linguafoeda acheronsis or Internecivus raptus) is simply that they are bioweapons and a small-scale terraforming agent, that were created by the Mala'kak thousands of years ago.

Though more speculation on their likely use as a terraforming agent is necessary, I would say that the ultimate purpose of Xenomorph XX121 is that once a large enough area has been terraformed by them, the Mala'kak would set their spacecraft down and conceal it beneath or near the surface that has been covered by the hive webbing, and their spacecraft would be visually camouflaged due to the similarity in design.

Their biotechnology would also likely be able to interface with the hive webbing in perhaps at least a signal/sensory/stealth etc. amplification capacity, and it is also possible that once interfaced with a Xenomorph hive in this way, they may be able to exert some amount of control over their bioweapon/terraforming agent Xenomorph XX121, by way of using the hive webbing as a psychic signal conductor/amplifier etc.

This method of terraforming would essentially create an environment that not only effectively hides their spacecraft and biotechnology from sensors etc., but also features extremely potent defences against intrusion in the form of a surrounding Xenomorph hive.

The Xenomorph Empress (formerly known as the 'Queen Mother') would have been created as an insterstellar psychic control mechanism, by which the Mala'kak could have a centralised galactic control hub for their bioweapon Xenomorph XX121 as a whole, with the Queens of each hive within the galaxy forming the secondary control points to the Empress, which would have been controlled by the Mala'kak to some degree by the same method described in the paragraph above the previous one.

And yet another measure of control; or rather a failsafe; would have been how Xenomorph XX121 was designed by the Mala'kak to require host species in order to propogate itself, rather then being able to produce adult castes without the need for hosts, which would have made Xenomorph XX121 immeasurably more dangerous and uncontrollable.

The intended victims of the Malakak's bioweapon Xenomorph XX121 can only be speculated upon, perhaps it was developed for use in internecine conflicts or in a war with another extraterrestrial civilisation (likely not the Yautja), or maybe Xenomorph XX121 was to be spread to various key planets, with the purpose of functioning as a galactic network of traps for some incomprehensibly alien strategic contingency, monitored and influenced by the Mala'kak using the fusion of their advanced biotechnology with the hive webbing of the Xenomorph Empress's hive (formerly known as the 'Queen Mother'), and then the singular creature itself by way of the hive webbing functioning for it as a psychic conductor/amplifier, so that the Mala'kak can exert control over the Xenomorph Empress, the galactic hub of Xenomorph XX121's psychic gestalt. Or perhaps Xenomorph XX121 is simply an aggressive terraforming agent.

Though whatever the reason(s) for their creation, Xenomorph XX121 has been found by humans in numerous seemingly random locations throughout the galaxy, which when considered with how the Mala'kak are now reclusive to the point of seeming to be entirely absent, makes it seem as if this and Xenomorph XX121's sporadic occurences throughout the galaxy are related, though the Mala'kak's seeming absence is likely due to their more advanced technology, allowing them to effectively 'ghost' spacefaring humanity in a similar capacity to that of the Yautja (though paying little or no attention to them, in contrast to the Yautja's casual inclusion of humans in their culture's recreational pursuits), rather than having been mostly eliminated by some catastrophe related to Xenomorph XX121, as has been speculated on since the discovery of the partially fossilised specimen of the 'chestbursted' Mala'kak pilot found in the long derelict Juggernaut of Acheron which is likely to be incidental, rather than an indication of the reason for their race's seeming absence, which if related to Xenomorph XX121 would likely be due to internecine warfare that included the guided use of Xenomorph XX121 as a bioweapon, instead of simply the creature's known aptitude for; of its own accord; surreptitiously spreading infestation across the galaxy as a parasite on interstellar spacecraft.

The incident of the Xenomorph infestation and downing of the Juggernaut of Acheron, could be explained by the inability of the methods; which are likely a more clinical approach employed by the Mala'kak (the Yautja would never rely on something like a stasis field to contain Xenomorph XX121) ; used to produce, contain and deliver their bioweapon, to deal with unforseen hazards, this in contrast to the more rugged and practical methods of the Yautja and their advanced materials science, utilised on their Seeding Ships and temples to restrain the captive Xenomorph Queens, that produce the Ovormorphs with which planets are seeded for the Hunt. It is clear that the Yautja have a more intuitive and practical hands-on understanding of how to deal with dangerous organisms, and this has made Xenomorph XX121 something of a natural (or rather bioengineered) resource for them, one man's bioweapon is another man's quarry!

Xenomorph gender classification
And I prefer to view the Xenomorph gender topic from a purely functional perspective, meaning; in terms only of the polarity of known Xenomorph reproductive processes; that I would classify all Xenomorphs as genderless except for the Queen, which I would describe as asexual and not female (since it does not require a male or anything other than its own physiology in order to reproduce), with facehuggers being male as to reproduce they require another organism to impregnate.

An exception to this is the juvenile Predalien Queen from Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem which I would describe as male, since it was only ever known to reproduce by directly impregnating another. Though ultimately it was probably an asexual male, presuming it was also capable of oviparity like a regular Xenomorph Queen, though I do not consider the Predalien Queen from Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem as a canonical variety and its mention here is just for perspective.


 * Queen: Asexual
 * Facehugger: Male
 * AVP:R Predalien Queen: Male or asexual male
 * All other Xenomorphs: Genderless

My Headcanon Xenomorph Classification System
This blog post linked to in the section heading above, features my personal headcanon Xenomorph classification system and categorises every Xenomorph variety; beyond the seven basic stages of the creature's life cycle (Ovomorph, Facehugger, Chestburster, Drone, Warrior, Praetorian Guard and Queen regnant) which one should be familiar with before reading this advanced information resource; that has ever appeared in any sort of official media from the Alien and Alien vs. Predator franchises, as well as any other Alien franchise crossovers, that I have determined (or edited it to be so) is a truly canonical variety.

See here for a complete list of every Xenomorph variety from official media (including those that I have deemed noncanonical).

These Xenomorph varieties are categorized into three primary distinctions, with subsequent secondary and tertiary etc. distinctions:

Abridged Contents: — 82
1. Standard Xenomorph Caste Variants — 32
 * Early life cycle — 9
 * Ovomorph — 4
 * Facehugger — 3
 * Chestburster — 2
 * Adult castes — 23
 * Drone — 4
 * Warrior — 7
 * Praetorian Guard — 7
 * Queen regnant — 3
 * King — 1
 * Empress — 1

2. Xenomorphs Spawned From Nonhuman Hosts — 29
 * Animals — 25
 * Terrestrial — 18
 * Aquatic — 2
 * Flight capable — 5
 * Sentient extraterrestrials — 4
 * Yautja — 2
 * Mala'kak — 2

3. Altered Xenomorph Varieties — 21
 * Mutant Xenomorphs — 8
 * Naturally occurring mutations — 8
 * Genetically engineered Xenomorphs — 11
 * Weaponized Xenomorphs — 3
 * Dr. Kadinsky's engineered Xenomorphs — 2
 * General Bush's engineered Xenomorphs — 5
 * Grant Corporation Station 13's engineered Xenomorphs — 1
 * Hybrid Xenomorphs — 2
 * The Rogue
 * Predalien Queen