Zelus renardii
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Leafhopper Assassin Bug sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 121st most-seen of the 190 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February, April, July and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Leafhopper Assassin Bug in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–June, August–September and November–January, the lowest months.
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.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Leafhopper Assassin Bug sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 4th at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%), Sierra Nevada National Park (Spain, about 10%) and Bahía de Loreto National Park (Mexico, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Leafhopper Assassin Bug is recorded against all the insects logged in Joshua Tree National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
