Zelus is a genus of insects in the family Reduviidae, the assassin bugs. There are currently 60 described species; most occur in Central and South America, and five are found in North America.[2]
| Zelus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Zelus renardii | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Heteroptera |
| Family: | Reduviidae |
| Subfamily: | Harpactorinae |
| Tribe: | Harpactorini |
| Genus: | Zelus Fabricus, 1803 |
| Type species | |
| Cimex longipes Linnaeus, 1767[1]
| |
| Species | |
|
About 60, see text | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Some species have been investigated for their potential as biocontrol agents in integrated pest management. Zelus is also known for a sticky trap predation strategy. Sticky resin produced from a leg gland is smeared on hairs to aid in prey capture. This is somewhat analogous to the carnivorous plant sundew.
Species include:
- Zelus annulosus
- Zelus araneiformis Haviland
- Zelus bilobus
- Zelus cervicalis
- Zelus exsanguis
- Zelus leucogrammus (Perty, 1833)
- Zelus longipes – milkweed assassin bug
- Zelus luridus Stål, 1862 – pale green assassin bug
- Zelus renardii – leafhopper assassin bug
- Zelus tetracanthus Stål, 1862
References
edit- ^ Zhang, Guanyang; Hart, Elwood R; Weirauch, Christiane (2016). "A taxonomic monograph of the assassin bug genus Zelus Fabricius (Hemiptera: Reduviidae): 71 species based on 10,000 specimens". Biodiversity Data Journal. 4 (e8150): e8150. doi:10.3897/BDJ.4.e8150. PMC 5019016. PMID 27651730.
- ^ Taxonomic Revision of Zelus Fabricius. Heteropteran Systematics Lab. University of California, Riverside.
External links
edit
Media related to Zelus at Wikimedia Commons
- "Genus Zelus". Retrieved 2008-09-14.
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