Texas Insects on Milkweed

Grasshoppers - Orthoptera

• Poekilocerus pictus - Aposematic and gorgeous, but from India, NOT Texas...

True Bugs - Hemipterans - Heteropterans

Alydidae - Broad-headed Bugs

• Hyalymenus tarsatus - Adult feeding on A. curassavica seed

• Hyalymenus tarsatus - Fifth instars are ant mimics

• Hyalymenus tarsatus - Fifth instars are ant mimics

• Hyalymenus tarsatus - Fifth instars are ant mimics

Coreidae - Leaf-footed Bugs

• Giant Milkweed Bug - Nymph - Info - Sephina gundlachi 

        Lygaeidae - Seed Bugs

• Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) - Adults on pod just beginning to open

• Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) - Fifth instars on flower buds

• Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) - Late instar cluster 

• Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) - Middle instars

• Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) - Early instars

• Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) - Early instars

• Six-spotted Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus sexmaculatus) - Adult

• Six-spotted Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus sexmaculatus) - Mating

• Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii) - Adult

• Small Milkweed Bugs (Lygaeus kalmii) - Mating

        Reduviidae - Assassin Bugs

• Assassin Bug (Zelus sp.) - Preying upon second instar Monarch larva - note ant sp. on back of larva
• Assassin Bug (Zelus sp.) - Preying upon second instar Monarch larva

Neuropterans

• Lacewing sp. (Chrysopidae) - Larva eating an Oleander Aphid

Beetles - Coleopterans

Cerambycidae - Longhorned Beetles

• Red Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes tetrophthalmus 

• Red-femored Milkweed Beetle - Tetraopes femoratus 

• Tetraopes discoideus - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes femoratus - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes basalis - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes annulatus - Neb., Kan., N.Dak., S.Dak., Okla., Colo., Wyo., Mont - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes quinquimaculatus - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes elegans - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes umbonatus - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes texana - MCZ - Harvard

• Tetraopes melanurus - Eastern U.S. - not Texas 

• North American Milkweed Longhorn Beetles - Tetraopes spp. 

        Chrysomelidae - Leaf Beetles

• Disonycha leptolineata texana - Adult nectaring on A. curassavica - note beetle's enlarged hind femora

• Milkweed Leaf Beetle - Labidomera clivicollis 

• Tropical Milkweed Leaf Beetle - Labidomera suturella 

• Blue Milkweed Beetle - Chrysochus cobaltinus 

        Coccinellidae - Lady Beetles

• Convergent Lady Beetle (Hippodamia convergens) - Larva eating an aphid

• Cycloneda sp. - Adult eating Oleander Aphids

• Scymnus sp. - Larva on a bed of Oleander Aphids

Curculionidae - Weevils

• Milkweed Stem Weevil - Rhyssomatus lineaticollis 

True Flies - Dipterans

• Hover Fly sp. (Syrphidae) - Larvae

• Hover Fly sp. (Syrphidae) - Larva eating an Oleander Aphid

Butterflies & Moths - Lepidopterans

• Danaid Photographs - Monarchs, Queens & Soldiers - Mike Quinn

Arctiidae - Tiger Moths

• Milkweed Tiger Moth - Euchaetes egle

• Crimson-bodied Lichen-Moth - Lerina incarnata - Southwestern US, but not found in Texas

• Faithful Beauty - Composia fidelissima

• Unexpected Cycnia - Cycnia inopinatus 

• Clio Tiger Moth - Ectypia clio

• Florida Eucereon Moth - Eucereon carolina

• Lined Ruby Tiger Moth - Phragmatobia lineata

Hymenopterans

• Ant sp. (Formicidae) - Near Oleander Aphids

• Polistes sp. (Vespidae) - Nectaring on A. curassavica flower

• Campsomeris tolteca (Scoliidae) - Note milkweed pollinia on legs

• Campsomeris tolteca (Scoliidae) - Male Sleeping Aggregation, note milkweed pollinia on legs

• Campsomeris tolteca (Scoliidae) - Lateral view

See also: 

• Milkweed, Monarchs and More - Rea, Oberhauser & Quinn. 2003. Bas Relief Publishing Group
• Insects Carrying Milkweed Pollinaria - BugGuide.Net
• Survey of Coleoptera Collected on the Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, at One Site in Ohio - Patrick Dailey (PDF)
• Survey of Hemiptera Collected on Common Milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, at One Site in Ohio - Patrick Dailey (PDF)
• ASCLEPOL - a compilation of world wide pollinator records for the family Asclepiadaceous

03 Jun 2007 © Mike Quinn  mike.quinn@tpwd.state.tx.us / Texas Entomology / Texas Monarch Watch