Zelus (bug)
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 | |
|
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]
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
- ^ 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
Media related to Zelus at Wikimedia Commons
- "Genus Zelus". Retrieved 2008-09-14.