These guys are all over my Milkweed plant. I'm fearing they are bad as my Milkweeds look awful. Any suggestions? And from the picture, the aphids are out of control as well! If they are bad, will soapy water do the trick or due to the infestation, should I simply cut off this stem? Thanks for your insight.
To me, most of the fun of growing Asclepias / Milkweeds is the inevitable insect free-for-all... I don't know... grow more next year? That's just me. Sorry, no help, I guess
They are pretty plants! I love my A. incarnata.
Thanks Claypa. I read the hyperlink and I'm just going to leave them alone. They aren't spreading to my other plants, so, like you, I'll enjoy all the insects attracted to the milkweed. Milkweeds are so hardy, it keeps coming back year after year without any help from me. Thanks for the information!
Are these guys the same as above? Milkweed? or is that also call Butterfly weeds? Any clarification would be appreciated (on both, plant and bug). I found these guys on my morning glory's leave -- as shown here). I've also noticed them on various other plants nearby the area. And yes, I do have what I thought "Butterfly weeds".
I think 'Butterfly Weed' usually means a Milkweed called Asclepias tuberosa, but probably different people mean different things by it.
Not sure, but your bugs look to me like Assassin Bug nymphs. They eat other insects. There is one called a Milkweed Assassin bug that is red... might be them.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/4832
Life's are the large milkweed bug nymphs http://bugguide.net/node/view/10043
I am almost certain that Lily's are the nymphs of the leaffooted bug http://bugguide.net/node/view/22218, not the assassin bug. To be absolutely certain, wait until the next stage (or instar). The widening in the back leg should be evident then. Or look at the mouth part. The assassin bug's proboscis will be shorter, and doesn't extend under the body, while the leaffooted bug's is longer and is held under the body between the legs. Also - observe what it is eating. If the proboscis is stuck in the plant, it is a plant eater - the leaffooted bug. A pest.
Good, ceejaytown, I was hoping you'd see this... the nymphs are tricky!
Lily love, that is a great picture - the colors are really something
Yeah, those first instars will eat your lunch! Would like to have seen one close up. Then I think I could be certainly certain! LOL!!!
Claypa,
The pic. turns out pretty interesting. Once it's correctly I.D.'ed I'd like to send that to DG's bugs file. What do you think?
Like ceejay says, the two kinds of bugs this could be eat entirely different things - I'd keep on eye on them, keep taking pictures to post to ID it better
They're quite mobile! This morning there is no trace of them anywhere. I do have a good population of lizards on the same location, so perhaps the two don't get along very well. But, I'll keep an eye out on them. :-)
They're all grown up!!!
Those were indeed milkweed's assasin bugs! They've been pretty elusive, until I spotted one adult today, then a whole colony of them, which quickly scattered off having being disturbed. While every little thing ran and hide. This couple was romantically involved thus got caught on candid camera. lol.
Thanks Claypa, and ceejaytown for helping identifying them.
I look forward to hearing what ceejaytown thinks, but I don't think these are the same bugs as the July 26th picture... these look like the Large Milkweed Bugs to me, not Assassin bugs or leaf-footed bugs:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/997/
This is getting really funny! :P>
This message was edited Aug 18, 2007 11:23 AM
Claypa;
Just as previously stated by you on the July 26th post, these nymphs are tricky. If you go back and look at the link that you've provided then. The illustrated pics. showed these bugs in various stages from nymphal stages to adulthood. I regcon they're adults because they're romantically involved - or at least I hope so. lol
Claypa - You are indeed correct. These adult bugs are the pest bugs - Large Milkweed Bugs, not Assassin Bugs. The very first photo, supplied by Lifesaver were the nymphs of the Large Milkweed Bug.
And the July 26th photo supplied by Lily were the nymphs of the Leaf-footed Bug, also a pest.
These are all totally different bugs.
Here are two photos of the common Assassin Bug adult. Considered a good guy because it eats other insects, not plants. Note the longer narrower head, the difference in shape, the long antennae....
http://bugguide.net/node/view/67706 http://bugguide.net/node/view/86058
Here is a nymph: http://bugguide.net/node/view/85103
Oh well, I was hoping they were good guys. Geez, I wonder how much damage they're in the garden. If it's huge, I'm gonna resort to spraying them. Although, I've noticed when I spared my lady bugs' laveas, they've effectively controlled the aphids that frequent, nesting on my one trop. hibiscus. I'm reluctant to spray these bad guys since there are tons of other good guys visiting this part of the garden. Any constructive suggestion here? It'd be much appreciated.
Thanks Claypa, and ceejaytown.
Kim
I definitely would not spray if you have good guys. If you have milkweed, you will have these bugs - along with aphids and probably milkweed beetles. I keep the seed pods cut off - that helps a lot. And knocking the bugs off into a bucket of soapy water is effective. Just watch out for those good guys! And the Monarch caterpillars!
Likes this purdy? I'll take your suggestion and enjoy my butterfly-garden. Thank very much.
Kim
You're very welcome. And do you have citrus trees around for this lady's babies to munch on?
You bet cha! Several 'em trees, fruits too. :-)
:-)
Only they're lemon. lol, and definately the fruits are for me. ceejaytown, I'm most grateful of your help. DGer likes you make our site a wonderful place to visit, and learn, as well as grow as our garden grows.
Best regards
Kim
That is very kind of you. Thank you. I've enjoyed meeting you and will see you in the Gardens!
CJ
