Leafhopper Assassin Bug

Leafhopper Assassin Bug

Zelus renardii

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Los Angeles

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%

706 Verified sightings at Los Angeles
84 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Leafhopper Assassin Bug

Zelus renardii, commonly known as the leaf hopper assassin bug, is a predacious insect contained within tribe Harpactorini. Diurnal and found on both wild and crop plants, Z. renardii has spread from its native habitats in western North and Central America into three other biogeographic regions across the globe.

Zelus renardii is considered a sister species to Z. cervicalis, as they share two unique characters: the lateral margins of dorsal phallothecal sclerite are recurved, and the medial process is strongly hooked apically. The native range of Z. renardii extends over various climatic zones throughout mainland North and Central America at altitudes between 8m to 2000m above sea level. Native ranges include tropical, dry, semi-arid, arid, and Mediterranean climates. Additionally, Z. renardii also appears well suited to urban and disturbed areas, as it has been observed in suburban areas on both native and non-native herbaceous and woody plants, as well as common garden plants. Egg masses can frequently be found on vegetable plants. Z. renardii is also sympatric with Z. tetracantus over a large part of its range in western USA, Mexico, Guatemala... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
3 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
4 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
7 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ankara 🇹🇷 Turkey
~40%
2 Bursa 🇹🇷 Turkey
~30%
3 Izmir 🇹🇷 Turkey
~30%
4 Valencia 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
5 Mendoza 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
6 Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
7 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~20%
8 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
9 Tashkent 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
~20%
10 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~20%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Leafhopper Assassin Bug in Los Angeles?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Leafhopper Assassin Bug sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 706 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 41st most-seen of the 851 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Leafhopper Assassin Bug in Los Angeles?

February to November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Leafhopper Assassin Bug in Los Angeles on a given day, against under 5% in December and January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Leafhopper Assassin Bug?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Leafhopper Assassin Bug sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Los Angeles the best place to see a Leafhopper Assassin Bug?

29th of 41

Of the 41 cities where we can rate Leafhopper Assassin Bug sightings, Los Angeles ranks 29th at about 10%. The best odds are in Ankara (Turkey, about 40%), Bursa (Turkey, about 30%) and Izmir (Turkey, about 30%).

Where does the Leafhopper Assassin Bug sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Leafhopper Assassin Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Los Angeles (706 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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