''Zelus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of insects in the family

Reduviidae The Reduviidae is a large Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan family of the suborder Heteroptera of the Order (biology), order Hemiptera (true bugs). Among the Hemiptera and together with the Nabidae almost all species are terrestrial ambush ...

, the assassin bugs. There are currently 60 described species; most occur in Central and South America, and five are found in North America.Taxonomic Revision of ''Zelus'' Fabricius.
Heteropteran Systematics Lab. University of California, Riverside. Some species have been investigated for their potential as biocontrol agents in

integrated pest management Integrated pest management (IPM), also known as integrated pest control (IPC) integrates both chemical and non-chemical practices for economic control of pests. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization defines IPM as "the careful consideratio ...

. ''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 ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginous ...

. File:Zelus nymph.webm, thumbtime=49, A 5 mm Zelus nymph on Hooker's evening primrose with a colony of

aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...

s. Temperarure was about ; this video is played at double speed. File:Zelus nymph grooming.webm, thumbtime=150, 5mm Zelus nymph, an

assassin bug The Reduviidae is a large cosmopolitan family of the suborder Heteroptera of the order Hemiptera (true bugs). Among the Hemiptera and together with the Nabidae almost all species are terrestrial ambush predators; most other predatory Hemiptera ...

, grooming on Hooker's evening primrose. 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

External links

* Reduviidae Cimicomorpha genera Hemiptera of Central America {{Cimicomorpha-stub