Mature Immature Milkweed Bugs Oncopeltus fasciatus
The large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, is a medium–sized hemipteran (true bug) of the family Lygaeidae. It feeds mainly on grains, particularity those of the milkweed. Like all hemiptera, it feeds through a long mouthpart known as a rostrum. O. fasciatus is commonly used in science due to ease of rearing and ease of dissection. The large milkweed bug adult is a 9–18 mm long insect. Mature adults are orange with black rhomboidal spots at both end of a body and a black band in the middle. Freshly molted individuals are pale yellow with gray spots that change into black with time. Bright orange instars resemble adults, with orange-black pattern different than in grown individual and without wings. However, wingpads are visible and become more pronounced with each molt. Adult females have several black spots on rear part of their abdomen, while males have only one.
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Photo credit: © Phil Degginger / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: arthropod, beneficial, big, black, bug, bugs, clustering, enemy, fasciatus, grouping, hemiptera, immature, insect, insects, mature, milkweed, natural, oncopeltus, orange, ploy, strategy, survival
