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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Bugs (Heteroptera) » Cimicomorpha » Assassin Bugs (Reduviidae) » Harpactorinae » Harpactorini » Zelus » subgenus Zelus (Zelus subgenus Zelus) » Zelus luridus

Species Zelus luridus

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Mating Zelus - Zelus luridus - male - female

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)

Suborder Heteroptera (True Bugs)

Infraorder Cimicomorpha

Family Reduviidae (Assassin Bugs)

Subfamily Harpactorinae

Tribe Harpactorini

Genus Zelus

No Taxon (subgenus Zelus)

Species luridus (Zelus luridus)

Other Common Names

Pale Green Assassin Bug (PGAB) --rather unfortunate invention, given color variation

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

erroneously treated under the name Z. exsanguis in(1)

Explanation of Names

Zelus luridus Stål 1862

luridus = 'sallow, ghastly'

Size

12.4-18 mm(2)

Identification

The base color of Z. luridus is apple green, and markings on the back may be very dark or rather light. The legs sometimes have dark or red bands on the distal ends of the femurs, but these can often be so light as to be almost invisible. When I've seen mating pairs, the males tend to be the darker ones, with the more pronounced red leg bands. The best feature for recognition is the pair of delicate spines on the rear corners of the pronotum, which are rather long on the light colored individuals and shorter on the dark. (3)

Range

e NA to Rockies (QC-FL to MB-WY-se.AZ) / Mex. (2)

Season

mostly: Apr-Oct (BG data)

Life Cycle

1. Eggs. 2. Newly hatched nymphs. 3. First instar nymphs. 4. Older nymph. 5. Adult

Remarks

The most common Zelus sp. in the e. US

Internet References

Works Cited

1.	How to Know the True Bugs Slater, James A., and Baranowski, Richard M. 1978. Wm. C. Brown Company.

2.	Genus Zelus Fabricius in the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Hart E.R. 1986. Ann. Ent. Soc. Am. 79: 535-548.

3.	Austin bug collection

Contributed by Eric R. Eaton on 28 September, 2006 - 3:20pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, Bbarnd, Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 15 December, 2017 - 3:34pm

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