Small Milkweed Bug: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life Cycle

Latin Name: Lygaeus Kalmii

Appearance: Lygaeus Kalmii, often known as the little milkweed bug or common milkweed bug, is a seed insect in the Lygaeidae family. It may be found in both Central and North America.

Hosts Plants: Milkweed seeds appear to be the milkweed bug’s only host meal. It’s also been found in oleander, a plant in the same botanical family as milkweed.

It is a piercing sucking bug with a lengthy proboscis. It feeds on milkweed seeds, leaves, and stems. It is found in tiny groups on milkweed, most commonly on the stems, leaves, and seed pods. Milkweed bugs’ bodies contain poisonous substances derived from the sap they suck from milkweed.

Territory: Native range: Throughout North America, including Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean, as well as southern portions of Canada.

Damage Insect Cause: These bugs, for the most part, are not hazardous. They don’t bite or sting, and they don’t do much harm to the plant. The sole disadvantage of the insect is that it can distort the pods and, in certain situations, crowd out Monarch butterflies if the infestation is high. They are typically regarded as a helpful bug since their feeding activity has the potential to finish the life cycle of milkweed plants. In general, milkweed bugs allow gardeners to enjoy the milkweed plant and the butterflies that are drawn to it without having to worry about the milkweed taking over their garden.

Life History and Habits: Milkweed bugs go through a straightforward transformation. This life cycle is divided into three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. During simple metamorphosis, the body of a milkweed beetle changes three times. The milkweed insect begins its life on a milkweed plant. The mature milkweed insect has a six-week life expectancy on average. Milkweed bugs are common in North America.