Aliens: Steel Egg (notes of interest)

John Shirley's pre-Alien novels offers some interesting new tidbits about the life-cycle of the Xenomorph. The supposed prequel to ALIEN (and the original contact that piqued the interest of WY) follows the events on Saturn's moon Iepetus, with a different source of eggs that pre-date even those found by the Nostromo.

This story has more action then Alien, Aliens and Alien 3 put together.....including a rampaging Queen and a new race of squid-arm sentient interlligent aliens, one named Larry.....

Published in 2007 the novel has pretty much been retconned by Prometheus, Covenant and Alien: Covenant Origins but does offer an interesting insight into the reproductive cycle of the species. 

I will not go into detail about the new 'Giff' species and their interactions with 'other' species that infected their ship with xeno's, as this whole story arc is effective mooted by recent releases.

Shirely's novel depicts the species as a 4-stage organism. 

Egg, Face-hugger, Xenomorph, Queen likes Cameron's ALIENS. However he suggests the juvenile xenomorphs do indeed eat. ALOT....to gain mass to grow to their adult size rapidly. In his preface Shirley suggests that the panicking crews from the Nostromo and Fury-161 were most likely too busy to notice the munched on dead, or the food stores around them.

This contrast's to some of the discussions we have had here about the xenomorph beings it own battery, with the acid being a catalyst for its energy source, and once depleted it dies. Shirley's xeno adults survive to molt into a Queen. 

However, the Queen's sole purpose is to lay a clutch of eggs, protect them from immediate threats then die...oddly much like the Salmon life-cycle.

He also suggests two drones/warrior can bump uglies and reproduce sexual, though this is never explored. Thankfully. gross.

Another interesting tid-bit of information is that Shirley suggests the tubes on the xeno's back store a supply of oxygen to survive in a vacuum.

Not suggesting these are canonical elements, but rather food for thought. The queen's role to spawn and die was a new one. 

Personally I like the idea of the Xeno's NOT feeding, sustaining themselves with their own battery then dying.... It just feels more alien, and perfect.