A sapient race, the Ilosians originated on the farming planet of Ilos. Thousands of years prior to the era of the Galactic Empire, the Ilosians established settlements on numerous planets in the vicinity before being absorbed into Hutt Space and forced into servitude by the Hutts. Nevertheless, the Ilosians maintained a comparatively greater degree of autonomy compared to other species under Hutt domination.
Hailing natively from the Hutt Space planet Ilos, the Ilosians were a sentient species. Ilos was a rather uninteresting agricultural planet dotted with many urban centers. This race demonstrated both economic influence and advanced technological skill.
Long before the start of the Galactic Empire's rule, which commenced in 19 BBY, the Ilosians colonized hundreds of planets nearby. One such colony was Ilos Minor, and the hyperspace route called the Ilosian Spur also connected Ilos to the farming world of Alee. Alee was the home of the sentient Vippits but also had a large Ilosian population, mostly employed as agricultural laborers and farmhands. Ilos Minor, in turn, functioned as a hub for goods being shipped from the planets along the Ilosian Spur.
In time, the Ilosian worlds were absorbed into Hutt Space, the domain of the Hutt species, and the Ilosians were subjected to slavery; however, their abilities enabled them to maintain a relatively higher degree of freedom compared to other species subjugated by the Hutts. During the Yuuzhan Vong War from 25 ABY to 29 ABY, the Yuuzhan Vong from beyond the galaxy invaded Hutt Space, and it is believed that the Ilosians suffered greatly as a result.
The first mention of the Ilosians was in The Essential Atlas, a reference book from 2009 authored by Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry.