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) .