Zelus nigromaculatus Champion, 1899

Forero, Dimitri & Mejía-Soto, Andrés, 2025, Filling in the gaps for assassin bugs: taxonomic notes and new records of Reduviidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) from Neotropical countries, Zootaxa 5584 (4), pp. 451-481 : 476

Zelus nigromaculatus Champion, 1899

Figs. 15A–E

Distribution: This species is known from Costa Rica and Panama ( Zhang et al. 2016). It is a new species record for Colombia.

Remarks: Both specimens were captured alive as fifth instar nymphs at understory of a dense rain forest at the foot of the mountain on the western slope of Paramillo Massif (Nudo de Paramillo), in the north of the West Andes of Colombia ( Fig. 15E ), and later bred until reaching the adult stage. This area has been strongly affected by extensive livestock farming and illegal logging. Both nymphs were located at the same plant ( Melastomataceae ) ( Fig. 15C–D ) along with two other nymphs, showing gregarious habit at this developmental stage as has been documented in other Harpactorinae . Adults resemble vespoid wasps ( Zhang et al. 2016), whereas nymphs, which exhibit the same banded leg color pattern, probably resemble Oxyopidae spiders ( Fig. 15C–D ).

Examined material: COLOMBIA. Antioquia: 1 ♂, Mutatá, Vereda San José de León, Finca La Soledad 2, 7.49502°N; 76.51170°W, 477 m, 3–8.vii.2022, entomological net, day collecting, forest edge, J. Sauceda-V., I. Ceballos-C., A. Mejía-S., J. C. Calderon., CEUA 129221 ( CEUA) ; 1 ♀, same data, CEUA 129222 ( CEUA) .

Figures

FIGURE 15. Images of Zelus nigromaculatus. A, B. habitus images; A. dorsal view; B. lateral view; C, D. live late instar nymphs on Melastomataceae leaves; E. area in Nudo de Paramillo where Z. nigromaculatus was found.