Subject: Want to know if these bugs are harmful or harmless
Location: Central Florida ~ Ormond Beach
March 11, 2017 1:46 pm
These bugs appear to be eating aphids on a particular plant. Should I leave them alone or wash them off the plant. The plant is just something that grew in my garden ~ not particularly important. Current season ~ March 11
Signature: barbara malkus
Dear Barbara,
These appear to the the nymphs of Large Milkweed Bugs, Oncopeltus fasciatus, a species normally found on milkweed, but sometimes found on oleander. We are surmising that milkweed, which is the food plant for the Monarch Butterfly, sprouted in your garden. Large Milkweed Bugs normally feed on seeds, but if they are eating Aphids, that is a good thing. In our opinion, you should leave them be.
