Zelus longipes

Zelus longipes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Family:	Reduviidae
Genus:	Zelus
Species:	Z. longipes
Binomial name
	Zelus longipes; (Linnaeus, 1767)

Zelus longipes is an assassin bug (Reduviidae) that is a member of the Harpactorinae subfamily. Its distribution ranges include southern North America, Central America, and South America (except Chile),^[1] especially in agroecosystems in Brazil.

Zelus longipes has been considered as a potential biocontrol agent, as it prefers caterpillars of Spodoptera frugiperda, which is a moth that is a pest in cornfields. ^[2] The species is a generalist predator, commonly used to combat picture-winged flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae), which cause damage to sweet corn yields in Florida. ^[3] Z. longipes prefers smaller caterpillars, probably because there is less risk of injury while subduing smaller prey.^[4]

References[]

^ Hart, E. R., 1986: Genus Zelus Fabricius in the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 79, 535–548
^ Sparks, A. N., 1979: A review of the biology of the fall armyworm. Fla. Entomol. 62, 82–87
^ M. Kalsi, D. R. Seal, G. S. Nuessly, J. L. Capinera, C. G. Martin, Distribution of Zelus longipes (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in South Florida Corn Fields and Its Functional Response to Corn-Infesting Picture-Winged Flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae), Environmental Entomology, Volume 43, Issue 5, 1 October 2014, Pages 1223–1234
^ R. Cogni, A. V. L. Freitas and B. F. Amaral Filho. "Influence of prey size on predation success by Zelus longipes L. (Het., Reduviidae)" (PDF). J. Appl. Ent. 126, 74–78 (2002).

External links[]

Zelus longipes on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site

[1] Hart, E. R., 1986: Genus Zelus Fabricius in the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico (Hemiptera: Reduviidae). Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 79, 535–548

[2] Sparks, A. N., 1979: A review of the biology of the fall armyworm. Fla. Entomol. 62, 82–87

[3] M. Kalsi, D. R. Seal, G. S. Nuessly, J. L. Capinera, C. G. Martin, Distribution of Zelus longipes (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in South Florida Corn Fields and Its Functional Response to Corn-Infesting Picture-Winged Flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae), Environmental Entomology, Volume 43, Issue 5, 1 October 2014, Pages 1223–1234

[4] R. Cogni, A. V. L. Freitas and B. F. Amaral Filho. "Influence of prey size on predation success by Zelus longipes L. (Het., Reduviidae)" (PDF). J. Appl. Ent. 126, 74–78 (2002).

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