Diet

• Adults and nymphs: Predatory, feeding on a wide variety of insects and other small arthropods.

• They use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to impale prey and inject digestive saliva, which liquefies the internal tissues before they are sucked out.

• Nymphs tend to take smaller, more mobile prey such as aphids, thrips and small beetles, while adults can capture considerably larger insects, including caterpillars, true bugs, beetles, flies, wasps and grasshoppers.

Range

• Zelus renardii is a New World assassin bug, native primarily to the western and southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America. Its native range extends from near sea level to elevations above 2,000 m.

• Around Zihua, Zelus renardii would likely be considered occasional to locally common, particularly in disturbed areas and open vegetation where insect prey is plentiful.

Habitat

• Zelus renardii is adaptable and occurs in open woodland, scrub, agricultural areas, gardens, suburban environments and other disturbed habitats.

• It is commonly associated with shrubs and herbaceous vegetation, where individuals ambush or actively stalk prey.

• Around Zihua, suitable habitat includes tropical deciduous forest, thorn scrub, forest edges, gardens, agricultural fields, roadside vegetation and other sunny areas with abundant low vegetation.

Size

• Zelus renardii is a medium-sized, slender assassin bug, with adults generally around 15–20 mm long.

• It has the characteristic Zelus combination of a long, narrow head, elongated body, long legs and prominent piercing beak.

• The body is generally reddish-brown to dark brown, often with contrasting pale or darker areas on the head, thorax and wings.

• Its long front legs are adapted for grasping prey and can be particularly important during its characteristic ambush attacks.