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Large Milkweed Bugs

Oncopeltusfasciatus

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Oncopeltus fasciatus by Vee8ch
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Order
Hemiptera
Family
Lygaeidae
Genus
Oncopeltus
Species
fasciatus
Regional

This bug has been reportedly found in the following regions:

Daphne, Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

Vincent, Alabama

Deer, Arkansas

Harrison, Arkansas

Marion, Arkansas

Fremont, California

Huntington Beach, California

Long Beach, California

Redondo Beach, California

Boca Raton, Florida

Brooksville, Florida

Clearwater, Florida

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

Jupiter, Florida

Lake Worth, Florida

Lakeland, Florida

Longboat Key, Florida

Lutz, Florida

Melbourne, Florida

Merritt Island, Florida

New Port Richey, Florida

North Fort Myers, Florida

Orlando, Florida

Palm Bay, Florida

Palm Harbor, Florida

Pensacola, Florida

Pompano Beach, Florida(2 reports)

Port Orange, Florida

Saint Cloud, Florida

Saint James City, Florida

Saint Petersburg, Florida(3 reports)

Sarasota, Florida

Satellite Beach, Florida

Sumterville, Florida

Venice, Florida

Winter Springs, Florida

Clarkesville, Georgia

Lula, Georgia

Marietta, Georgia

Oak Park, Illinois

Palatine, Illinois

Plainfield, Illinois

Davenport, Iowa

Wichita, Kansas

Hebron, Kentucky

Salvisa, Kentucky

Abbeville, Louisiana

Covington, Louisiana

Hammond, Louisiana

Kaplan, Louisiana

Merryville, Louisiana

Scott, Louisiana

Thibodaux, Louisiana

Millersville, Maryland

Dearborn Heights, Michigan

Vicksburg, Mississippi

Jackson, Missouri

Marshfield, Missouri

Beatrice, Nebraska

Jamesburg, New Jersey

Himrod, New York

Seaford, New York

Charlotte, North Carolina

Ellerbe, North Carolina

Raleigh, North Carolina

Cincinnati, Ohio(3 reports)

Corning, Ohio

Defiance, Ohio

Galion, Ohio

Sheffield Lake, Ohio

Harrah, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Bushkill, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania(2 reports)

Waynesboro, Pennsylvania

Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Yankton, South Dakota

Memphis, Tennessee

Smyrna, Tennessee

Soddy Daisy, Tennessee

Cedar Park, Texas

Fort Worth, Texas

Helotes, Texas

Houston, Texas

Mesquite, Texas

New Caney, Texas

Pipe Creek, Texas

Richmond, Texas

San Antonio, Texas(2 reports)

Santa Fe, Texas

Spring, Texas

Mc Lean, Virginia

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Gardener's Notes:
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0 positive 12 neutral 3 negative
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1

12native34

Sumterville, FL (Zone 9a) | July 2017 | Neutral
Two years ago I started squashing the milkweed bugs as soon as I saw them, so far this year I've only seen 1 bug
E

EyeGarden

Oak Park, IL | July 2016 | Neutral
I just read this on another site, where the blogger's butterfly weed was infested with milkweed bugs:

"We have had no further infestations of Milkweed Bugs since we started plucking the seed pods from the Butterfly Weed as soon as they appear. This has no adverse effect on the plant. In fact, it seems to promote a weak second flowering. We have no use for the seeds, and this also prevents their silky floss from blowing all over the yard."

Here is the link to the blog: http://markcz.com/milkweed-bug-infestation/

I'm going to give this a try and hope I will remember to report back.
j

jimbarlow89

Jupiter, FL | November 2015 | Neutral
I have had some success controlling milkweed bugs using insecticidal soap if the outbreak is small. once the outbreak is large, I was not able to get them back under control. In my experience they damage the health of the milkweed and its ability to support Monarch butterflys.
f

fulxmom

Long Beach, CA | July 2012 | Neutral
I feel better after reading all the comments. I don't care about the seeds, in fact I pick the pods off my "Scarlett Milkweed" as quickly as I can to prevent the seeds from blowing in the neighborhood. I have another milkwee that I think is a "swamp weed" ...the seed pods are round, hairy balls....they have deflated some on that one which annoys me. But if in the big picture, they don't disturb the butterfly/caterpillars, I guess they will just add an interesting focus to the yard. I'm in So Cal.
g

gardengirlgeek

Milwaukee, WI | August 2010 | Neutral
I, too, have found a plethora of these bugs on my butterfly weed, which I know is a type of milkweed. I have common milkweed in another area of my garden, but so far, haven't seen any of them on those.
I don't know whether to be concerned b/c I don't know whether they serve some beneficial function or will ultimately destroy all the milkweed/butterfly weed plants, or harm other plants. So far they're just congregating on all the pods. I haven't tried to destroy them but it would probably be relatively easy, since they're all clustered. Does anyone know what the best course is?
And BTW, hello All, I'm new to this site and it looks like a really great resource.
D

Donut1106

Saint Petersburg, FL | July 2010 | Neutral
Help, I have tons of these ornage bugs (or something that looks very similar) gathered all close together on my Yardlong beans and also on my Corn crop (which pill bugs ate the whole crop of corn ears).Anyone know of a very similar looking bugs on crops ? I don't know whether to kill them if they eat the plants, or protect them if they are eating the bad bugs (armyworms and pill bugs). Any feedback would be appreciated.
h

happy_girl

Redondo Beach, CA (Zone 10b) | September 2009 | Neutral
We have several vines on a chain link fence that separates our property from our neighbors. On that fence we have a mandevilla laxa vine, stephanotis vine and a passionflower vine.

Earlier this summer, we noticed adult beetles on the mandevilla vine - saw some mating going on. Two weeks ago, we saw a large cluster of red/orange babies on the mandevilla seed pods. We cut off the seed pods and forgot about it. Today, we saw another large cluster of babies on another seed pod.

Since we don't have milkweed, we're assuming these milkweed bugs also go far soft vines?

Does anyone know what kind of damage these bugs can cause (if any)? Also, what is the recommendation for removing them?

I've rated them 'neutral' as I don't know w... read more
i

iamkaym

Port Orange, FL | April 2009 | Neutral
The bugs are an intricate part of the lifecycle of the milkweed and you are not going to get rid of them. They generally come after the caterpillars are in the 4th instar so they don't interfer with the Monarch butterfly's life cycle. While the caterpillars are in pupae the leaves will grow back and be ready for the next batch of caterpillars.

I find milkweed to be a weedy-looking plant most of its life but they are important to the Monarch. I keep my milkweed against a sunny wall in an area that is used mainly as a walkway. Masses of penta in other parts of the garden give me a view of butterflies from the back porch.
L

LindaTX8

NE Medina Co., TX (Zone 8a) | February 2009 | Negative
You can squish them with your hands or throw them on the ground then stomp them. But if the latter, they may fly away before you can stomp them.
S

Silly_Sane

| August 2007 | Negative
Thumping them off or blasting with water only sends them away. They have wings and will fly away to return to the plants later so biggest negative is they make the plants look ugly
L

Lonne99

Houston, TX (Zone 9a) | November 2006 | Neutral
I found a large number of these bugs on my milkweed, which is currently home to several caterpillars. I didn't want to harm the caterpillars, so I just directed a strong spray of water at the bugs to dislodge them. It worked well -- and the few bugs still on the plant were dead (maybe drowned?).
s

sallyg

Anne Arundel,, MD (Zone 7b) | September 2006 | Neutral
I've had these guys in my patch of common milkweed, which is 10-12 years here. The bugs are bad some years and scarce others, but the milkweed still spreads. The bugs seeems to gather on the pods most. They are a sucking insect so I question whether they are making holes in leaves.
If you want to open the pods and get nice seeds with lots of fluff , you may want to keep the bugs off; they seem to spoil them- see Magpye's comment about feeding on the seeds.
b

butterhum

Hammond, LA | September 2006 | Negative
I cultivate a butterfly and hummingbird garden. I have these bugs all over my milkweed plant as I write! I didn't realize that they were harmful. How do I get rid of them in an environmentally friendly way?
M

Magpye

NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) | August 2006 | Neutral
Although they might be considered a nuisance by gardeners trying to propagate milkweeds, and they sometimes congregate in large numbers on or near buildings like the boxelder and golden raintree bugs - large milkweed bugs are not usually accorded pest status.

This North American native ranges from Massachusetts to Florida in the East, westward to Texas, the Rocky Mountains, and California, and southward to Texas and Brazil.

The aposomatically colored bugs warn potential predators that they are unpalatable. In the process of feeding of milkweed seeds they sequester toxins from the host plant.

Females lay eggs in crevices between milkweed pods, producing as many as 2000 each. Individuals develop from egg to adult in about one month at 85ºF... read more
V

Vee8ch

Palm Bay, FL (Zone 9b) | July 2006 | Neutral
Milkweed bugs are colored orange (or orange-red) and black. They have a long proboscis which they use to pierce the milkweed seed and inject salivary enzymes used to digest their food. Legs are delicate. Adult milkweed bugs have full grown wings which cover the abdomen.

They eat the seeds and tissue of the milkweed plant (Asclepias curassavica.)

Milkweed bugs have few predators because they concentrate in their bodies bad tasting compounds found in the sap of milkweed plants.

Milkweed bugs often gather in groups on the milkweed plant. This gregarious behavior probably enhances their warning coloration.
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