Zelus cognatus (Costa, 1864)

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, pp. 8150-8150 : 8150

Zelus cognatus (Costa, 1864)

Diplodus cognatus Costa, 1864, p. 81, orig. descr.; Uhler, 1886, p. 24, checklist; Walker, 1873, p. 125, cat.

Zelus cognatus : Stål, 1872, p. 91, cat. (subgenus Diplodus ); Lethierry and Severin, 1896, p. 151, cat.; Champion, 1898, p. 259-260, junior syn. of Z. exsanguis Stål. stat. rev. (current study).

Description

The following is a translation of the original description:

"Closely related to the preceding species [ Z. ambulans ]; differing in that the spines of the humeral angle of the pronotum are conspicuously directed obliquely upward; dorsal surface of the head black, longitudinal line and transverse sulcus yellowish; first and second antennal segments testaceous, apex black. -- length 15 mm."

Taxon discussion

This species was originally described from a single specimen from Mexico. The original description did not indicate its sex. Champion’s synonymy was apparently based on the description and not upon examination of the specimen. Attempts to locate the holotype were unsuccessful. From the above original description it is impossible to determine whether this species may be synonymous with Z. exsanguis or is a separate species. It is reasonably certain, however, that it belongs to the Zelus luridus species group, as the comparison with Z. ambulans precludes any similarity to other reduviid genera or even groups in this genus within Mexico.