Young Ladybugs or Something Harmful
Location: West Los Angeles
November 12, 2011 12:30 pm
Hi Bugman,
I’ve seen a couple groups of these small red bug on my milkweed bushes.
Are they Ladybugs or something else?
Thx, Jeff Bremer
Signature: Jeff Bremer
Large Milkweed Bug Nymphs
Hi Jeff,
These are the early instar nymphs of Large Milkweed Bugs. They feed upon the juices of the milkweed seeds and pods. They will not cause damage to the plant, but the number of viable seeds that are produced by the plant might be reduced. This does not appear to be a native milkweed, so the lack of seed production is not something that should be considered a problem. We would urge you to allow the Large Milkweed Bugs to share the plants with the butterflies you are trying to attract. You can see BugGuide for a matching photo.
¶ Posted 13 November 2011 § Seed Bugs ‡ ° Also tagged: Oncopeltus fasciatus?
Location: Hawthorne, CA
October 12, 2011 2:53 pm
Hi,
I believe I have this guy correctly identified as a Large Milkweed Bug. Seems as though these are common, but it’s our first sighting ever. If you remember, we did away with our back lawn last year and the drought tolerant plantings we replaced it with have attracted many ”new to us” bugs and birds. Husband Marty pointed at this flying around this morning and said, ”New bug!!” I’m glad I have him hooked. Such wonderful little buggies we have around here.
Will you please confirm?
Signature: Thanks, Anna Carreon
Large Milkweed Bug
Hi again Anna,
This is indeed a Large Milkweed Bug. Your gardening efforts are admirable and it is wonderful to hear that in just one year, you are attracting numerous birds and insects. We expect that soon you will be coming out with a photo book on insects that you attracted to your newly created habitat.
¶ Posted 13 October 2011 § Seed Bugs ‡ ° Also tagged: Coleoptera on Asclepias subverticillata
Location: Socorro County, NM
September 26, 2011 2:56 pm
Hi!
Just discovered this site; very awesome. Here’s a picture of some beetles on a Horsetail Milkweed (Asclepias subverticillata). This was in Socorro County, New Mexico, on September 16th. Just wondering what they were…
Signature: JB
Bordered Plant Bug Nymphs
Dear JB,
These are not beetles. They are Bordered Plant Bug nymphs in the genus Largus based on this photo posted to BugGuide. We were not aware that Bordered Plant Bugs fed on milkweed.
1
¶ Posted 27 September 2011 § Plant Bugs ‡ ° Also tagged: August 26, 2011
Location: Elyria Canyon Park, Mt. Washington, Los Angeles, California
Several of the Indian Milkweed Plants growing wild in Elyria Canyon Park have serious Milkweed Aphid infestations, and one especially hard hit group of plants is also covered in black Sooty Mold. See the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resourceswebsite for more information on Sooty Mold.
Indian Milkweed with Sooty Mold
Convergent Lady Beetles, Hippodamia convergens, have begun to feed off of the Milkweed Aphids, though it seems there are far too many Aphids for the few Lady Beetles that were observed. Learn how to identify the Convergent Lady Beetle on BugGuide and read more about the benefits of the native Convergent Lady Beetle on the San Francisco State University Department of Geographywebsite.
Convergent Lady Beetle
1
Fuzzy caterpillars on my milkweed?
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
August 22, 2011 4:25 pm
Hi! I let some volunteer milkweeds grow in my gardens this year in hopes they’d attract a monarch caterpillar or two.
Last night I was practicing my photography skills in my backyard and thought I might just check to see if I had any little monarch friends and found these fellas instead.
I was hoping you let me know what I’m raising in my yard. I surfed through your butterfly and moth caterpillar pics and didn’t see these.
Thanks!
Signature: Heidi
Milkweed Tiger Moth Caterpillar
Hi Heidi,
Monarchs are not the only insects with caterpillars that feed on milkweed. Several moths including the Milkweed Tiger Moth Caterpillar or Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar, Euchaetes egle, also feed on milkweed. You can see additional photos on this species on BugGuide.
Cycnia Inopinatus – larva/pupa/adult, 1 of 2
Location: Naperville, IL
August 22, 2011 12:32 pm
Dear Daniel~
I found this little caterpillar on August 10th, on some asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed). I tentatively ID’ed it as Cycnia Inopinatus, but I’d read that although it might be locally common, overall it is uncommon to rare due to habitat decline. It was certainly the larva of a tiger moth, and its coloration, host plant and region (Great Lakes area) all pointed to the unexpected tiger moth. I placed it in one of my Monarch egg-rearing containers for observation, but before long, and before I could move it, it made its cocoon and pupated on the container’s lid. (Sorry for the red color cast.) It eclosed this morning, and sure enough, it’s a beautiful little cycnia inopinatus, similar in its adult stage to the delicate cycnia moth (cycnia tenera) that you have on your site, but whose larvae are quite different. The photos of the adult are in a separate submission, and I’ve included a side view so that you can see its orange, speckled abdom en. All the best to you!
Signature: Dori Eldridge
Unexpected Cycnia Caterpillar
Cycnia Inopinatus – larva/pupa/adult, 2 of 2
Location: Naperville, IL
August 22, 2011 12:40 pm
Dear Daniel~
Here are the three adult photos of the cycnia inopinatus (unexpected tiger moth) that eclosed this morning. The second photo shows his (?) antennae, which were previously tucked under the body. It flew away before I could get a better side view! Best regards,
Signature: Dori Eldridge
Unexpected Cycnia Cocoon
Hi Dori,
Thank you so much for providing our website with such a thorough documentation of the metamorphosis of the Unexpected Cycnia, Cycnia inopinatus, a new species of Tiger Moth for our website. We are most intrigued with the number of creatures that depend upon milkweed for survival. Readers who want additional information can see the postings for this species on BugGuide.
Unexpected Cycnia Moth
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