They eat a variety of insects including aphids, armyworms, stink bugs, houseflies, etc. Asian Lady Beetle. Not many insects are able to feed on milkweeds. Eggs of the milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, showing the central pore (a) in the operculum of one egg, and the mucilaginous layer (b) surrounding the main eggshells but not the opercula. True bugs (order Hemiptera) do not have mouths for biting and chewing food—they have a tubelike beak for sucking fluids. Both the brightly colored adults and larvae chew on the foliage of milkweeds, primarily swamp milkweed, although they have been recorded on common milkweed, butterflyweed (A. tuberosa), and a few other plants. The adults eat milkweed leaves, buds, and flowers, and reduce the flow of the sticky milky latex (which could gum up their mouthparts) by severing leaf veins below their feeding site. Lateral view of eggs of the milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, showing the operculum (a), the main eggshell (b), the waist-like junction (c), and the egg flattened at one side with a slight curve inwards (d). The abdomen is orange, setaceous and is 4.97 mm long and 1.77 mm wide. Figure 8. the range of symptoms displayed by mantids that had consumed milkweed-fed bugs. Members of the genus Zelusbelong to the subfamily Harpactorinae and are diurnal in nature. Lateral view of a third instar nymph of the milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus. Photograph by Megha Kalsi, University of Florida. First instar: The body is elongated with a differentiated neck and is light brown in color, measuring 2.61 mm in length. The sticky white sap that gives milkweed its common name and the leaves contain toxic chemicals (cardiac glycosides) to deter mammals and insects from feeding on the foliage. Zelus longipes Linnaeus is commonly called the milkweed assassin bug, as it closely resembles the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas). Figure 4. The wing pads are black, setose and 1.37 mm in length. The immatures (nymphs) resemble the adults, although the color pattern changes as they go through the five instars before molting to the adult stage. The gregarious early instars skeletonize whole leaves, feeding only on the tissues between the veins, thereby avoiding the copious latex sap. This species occurs throughout North America, and is frequently seen on a variety of species of Ascelpias, including swamp milkweed (A. incarnata). Figure 19. 2001. Mantids consumed from 80-100% of the bodies of the sunflower-fed bugs; in contrast, milkweed-fed bugs often survived the encounters and were released missing only small parts of their legs, wings or antennae. Chrysochus cobaltinus (order Coleoptera, family Chrysomelidae) The … Like many ambush bugs, Zelus longipes attacks prey after hiding inside foliage with its forelegs raised in the air. 2005). Photograph by Megha Kalsi, University of Florida. Figure 14. Members of the genus Zelusbelong to the subfamily Harpactorinae and are diurnal in nature. First instar nymphs of the milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, hatching out of the eggs and slowly extending their legs. In the south there can be two generations per year. In general, the insects are harmless unless you are trying to raise milkweed. Since the primary predators of the moths are bats, which hunt at night using sound rather than sight to locate prey, the moths don’t need warning coloration. And the abdomen is rounded and setose with faintly visible sweat glands. The posterior portion is yellow in color with prominent black dorsal spots present on the VI and VII sternites. Figure 9. The prominent reddish-brown eyes are 0.22 mm wide (ocelli are absent). But with increasing prey size the handling and feeding time for Zelus longipes also increases, allowing them to become vulnerable to other predators (Cogni et al. The strategy Zelus longipes uses to catch its prey is known as the "sticky trap strategy." This cosmopolitan pest is now found throughout much of North America, where they use milkweeds and some other ornamental plants in the families Apocynaceae and Asclepiadaceae as hosts. 1977. And just like the monarch caterpillars which sequester and concentrate the toxins in their own bodies, giving them a bitter taste and protection against predators, many other milkweed insects – including milkweed bugs, milkweed longhorn beetles, and milkweed leaf beetles – have developed ways for using the toxins in their own defense, too. The two honey bees below experienced different fates on this narrow-leafed milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis. Head length and width is 2.77 mm and 1.26 mm, respectively. There are two true bugs (family Lygaeidae, order Hemiptera) that are associated with milkweed mostly in late summer and fall, the large milkweed bug and the small milkweed bug. Because of the length of their mouthparts they are only able to feed on the outside layers of seeds in each pod, leaving many interior seeds intact for plant reproduction. Photograph by Megha Kalsi, University of Florida. Adults are black at both ends with red (older individuals) or orange (younger individuals) markings on the edges of the thorax and scutellum and a … 2000. $Trumba.addSpud({ P. HAYES Department of Entomology, University of Illinois, Urbania In the last few years certain entomolo-gists have been rearing the milkweed bug in large numbers for testing the killing power of certain insecticides. The adults migrate south in the fall to overwinter in the southern Atlantic and Gulf coast states, then new generations gradually migrate north again in the spring and summer. The red milkweed beetle, known scientifically as the Tetraopes tetrophthalmus, lives primarily in the eastern United States and Canada. The legs are black with lightly colored coxa. Dorsal view of a third instar nymph and exuvia (insert) of the milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus. The 26 different milkweed longhorn beetles (Tetraopes spp. Figure 12. The egg can be divided into two parts: the operculum (which is attached to the anterior pole of the egg) and main eggshell or chorion (Wolf and Reid 2000). This stage lacks wing pads (Melo et al. They are generalist predators feeding on a wide range of soft-bodied prey in garden and fields such as mosquitoes, flies, earthworms, cucumber beetles, and caterpillars (fall armyworm, rootworm, etc.). These bugs will also feed on many other members of the Apocynaceae (dogbane) … They turn to milkweed and other plants for nourishment. It is also known as the 'longlegged assassin bug' and the 'Zelus assassin bug' (Bug Guide). There is a single generation each year in Wisconsin. The black pronotum has orange-red margins. The mature larvae drop to the ground and produce a gray cocoon, incorporating hairs from the caterpillar, where they pupate to become adults or overwinter. It has a long proboscis and is a piercing sucking insect. The greatest color variation is observed in West Indies populations where individuals may be orange-brown, brownish-black and even entirely black (Hart 1986). The parthenogenetic females (producing young without mating) give birth to live, wingless, young females to quickly build up populations. But if you’ve ever grown or just observed milkweeds, likely you’ve encountered some other insects on those plants. Because large milkweed bugs only eat milkweed, they should not be a problem for monarchs. By the third instar the caterpillars have thick tufts of black, white and orange (sometimes yellow) hairs covering the body. Connect with your County Extension Office », Find an Extension employee in our staff directory », Get the latest news and updates on Extension's work around the state, Feedback, questions or accessibility issues: info@extension.wisc.edu | © 2020 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System Privacy Policy | Non-Discrimination Policy | Discrimination and Harassment Complaints | Disability Accommodation Requests | Civil Rights. It is also larger (obviously) than the small milkweed bug, which looks somewhat similar but has two small white dots on its folded wings, as … Adult female milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, sitting on a sweet corn tassel. Photograph by Megha Kalsi, University of Florida. Figure 3. Insects that feed on the plant are also brightly colored. Adult milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, showing its long legs and beak (stylet), sitting on a sweet corn tassel. adults overwinter, appearing in great numbers on warm winter days. Milkweed bugs are true bugs; beetles, moths, flies, and butterflies are not. Figure 18. Adult milkweed assassin bugs, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, showing hiding or ambush behavior. Local gardeners are becoming better aware of this beneficial insect based upon the increasing numbers of specimens submitted to the County Extension Office for identification over the last few years. Adult large milkweed bugs are orange except for black legs, a black triangle right behind the head, a broad black band across the middle of the bug, and black wing tips covering the rear of the abdomen. Box elder bugs have three longitudinal red stripes on the pronotum, while the large milkweed bug has a red transverse band, and the boxelder bug has red edges rather than an X-like pattern. Adults are known to overwinter. Nymphs are red with black antennae and legs, but lack functional wings. Adult milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, lying in ambush (in the shadows upper left) with its forelegs raised just before attacking its prey, a cornsilk fly, Euxesta stigmatias Loew, (lower right). As many insects are present on milkweed plants, you need to be sure you are dealing with the right one. Egg guarding by male assassin bug of the genus. Photograph by Megha Kalsi, University of Florida. As more gardeners are embracing their insect neighbors, the reflex to smash anything with six or more legs is becoming popular, but sometimes it’s hard to know if a bug is one of the good guys or the bad guys. Northern populations migrate over longer distances than southern and tropical populations, and movements correlate with flowering of milkweeds. Figure 7. Milkweed Assassin Bug. The adults emerge in the fall to feed for a while before overwintering amid debris or in the soil. The architecture of the anterior appendage in the egg of the assassin bug, Wolf KW, Reid W. 2001. Many natural enemies, including lady beetle larvae, commonly feed on aphids. Although they feed primarily on seeds, adults will sometimes feed on monarch butterfly caterpillars or pupae or other insects trapped in milkweed flowers, or consume nectar from various flowers. Figure 16. The abdomen is dark brown to orange in color, and appears round in form with a few setae on the last segments. Nymphs: Zelus longipes passes through five nymphal instars before developing into adults. Head is to the right and the stylet (pointing to the rear in the resting position) is visible under the head. The adult milkweed tussock moth has dull gray wings (L) and a yellow-orange abdomen marked with black dots (LC and RC). Small (common) milkweed bugs are mostly herbivorous, but can occasionally be scavengers. You can then spray it directly onto the beetles on your plants. This species has a single generation per year in the north (two or more in the south). The insects that have this ability typically have aposematic markings, or warning coloration, advertising their toxicity. The head is pyriform in shape, measuring 0.80 mm in length and 0.50 mm wide with sparse setae. The length of the wing pad now averages 0.84 mm. Figure 17. The main eggshell is widest at the posterior pole (0.53 mm) and narrows near the anterior pole (0.32 mm). Antennae, measuring 14.56 mm in length, are similar to previous instars in regard to color, band patterns and setae. The females lay their eggs on stems near the ground or just below the surface. Second instar: The body now is more elongated measuring 4.26 mm in length with pale brown color and orange tinge (Melo et al. large milkweed bug, oncopeltus fasciatus. Zelus longipes is widely distributed in southern North America (Gulf Coast and South Atlantic states; southern California and southwestern Arizona in United States), Central America, South America (except Chile) through central Argentina, and the West Indies (Hart 1986, Melo 2005, Wolf and Reid 2001, Cogni et al. Milkweed bugs have few predators because they concentrate in their bodies bad tasting compounds found in the sap of milkweed plants. If populations are too high, the eggs or larvae can be wiped off the plants. They overwinter in the roots, pupate in earthen cells in the spring and the adults emerge in early summer, coinciding with hostplant flowering. This species overwinters in Wisconsin as an adult. Figure 1. ... Milkweed Bug is Killing the Plants. The plump grey to orange larvae with a row of black spots along the side (similar in shape and size to Colorado potato beetle) go through four instars as they eat leaf tissue until late summer. The female lays masses of white eggs on the underside of leaves (R). An adult female milkweed assassin bug, Zelus longipes Linnaeus, ovipositing eggs in a cage. Photograph by Megha Kalsi, University of Florida. Milkweed tussock caterpillar is seldom in competition with monarch caterpillars, as they generally feed on older shoots while monarchs prefer younger shoots. in the family Cerambycidae) each prefer a different species of milkweed. It is a non-native bug, most likely originating in the Mediterranean region where it's principal host plant, oleander, grows. If necessary, aphid colonies can be dislodged with a strong spray of water, or can be treated with insecticidal soap, neem oil, or synthetic insecticides labeled for control of aphids. The abdomen is rounded, with setae and visible scent gland openings. Immature stages of, Ralston JS. Photograph by Megha Kalsi, University of Florida. Entomologists like to study and work with milkweed bugs because they are easy to raise in a lab, where they can be fed pumpkin seeds. Of the 13 that occur in the US, only three species occur in the east, and the most common species in Wisconsin is the red milkweed beetle, T. tetraophthalmus. The crispy little molts can be seen in the milkweed bug habitat about a week after the bugs hatch. 2000), the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hall 2008), and the genista broom moth, Uresiphita reversalis Guenée (Carrel 2001). The cotton stainer, Dysdercus suturellus, is a pretty bug that does ugly damage … We just located this Galveston County Master Gardeners “Beneficials in the Garden” web page devoted to the Milkweed Assassin Bug. The small milkweed bug nymph is more reddish-orange and has two black spots on the first segment of the thorax above the wing buds. They spread the resin around their limbs to create a sort of glue trap that can be used to catch and immobilize their prey. Swamp milkweed beetle larva. These bugs are known as lygaeus kalmii and are dark gray to black in color with an orange or red band on the front wings (it looks like an X). Few hours later, its body turns dark orange in color and the legs and antennae turn black. The head width and length is 0.97 mm and 2.05 mm, respectively. The scientific name tetraophthalmus means “four eyes”, referring to the way each compound eye is divided into two by the antennal base. Figure 5. Like other true bugs, large milkweed bug undergoes simple metamorphosis. The United States populations are distinctively orange and black in color. The nymphs look very similar to large milkweed bug nymphs but are a brighter red and have two diagonal black markings on the pronotum. Found throughout eastern North America, this moth with a wing span up to 1¾ inches, has dull grey, mostly unmarked wings and a hairy yellow-orange abdomen marked with black dots. They occur in large clusters on new shoots, stems, buds, and leaves. Zelus longipes Linnaeus is commonly called the 'milkweed assassin bug,' as it closely resembles the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas). When given sunflower seeds in a laboratory, this bug obtained 90% of their lipids, 50% of … While not a threat to humans, if not handled properly, a Zelus longipes bite can cause a burning sensation with swelling that may last for several days. Prefer younger shoots forming a double layer and within this are many structures. To six times their own size mature larvae drop to the way each compound eye is completely divided by base. 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