Milkweed Assassin Bug

KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH

13 years ago

Had no clue these existed until Shady Oak posted a pic today of one eating a caterpillar. I'm glad they don't live this far north so I don't have to worry about them hanging out on my milkweed.

I'm guessing they got their name because they resemble milkweed bugs.

Here is a link that might be useful: Milkweed Assassin Bug

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Comments (3)

bandjzmom
13 years ago
Informative post kc. I now realize that I do probably have them here on my milkweed, and I think that I was thinking I had Milkweed Beetles instead. Now that I am looking into the matter, I see that there is a "Large Milkweed Bug", a "Milkweed Beetle" and then this "Milkweed Assassin" which all have similar coloration and live on Milkweed. Of course, I guess the difference is that the Assassin is eating the caterpillars and the others are only eating the Milkweed. I'm going to be looking at my Milkweed more closely now.

Milkweed Beetle--http://www.cirrusimage.com/beetles_red_milkweed.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Large Milkweed Bug
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bananasinohio
13 years ago
Zoinks! I am glad we don't have those either! There are a lot of milkweed beetles this year and not as many milkweed bugs. Usually I see the bugs and very rarely the beetles. Dogbane beetles are my favorite. They are really pretty.

I have seen a lot of assassin bugs this year. I suspect that in addition to the bad weather, a large crop of insect predators and parasitoids are to blame for our lack of butterflies this year. We had so many butterflies last summer that it only stands to reason that we had a lot of predators and parasitoids this spring.

Sigh,
Elisabeth
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Actually, I believe you killed off a bunch of assassin bugs. If you look at the photo I linked, not only can you see that it's the same bug, you can see him eating his prey. The proboscis is folded back on most of the bugs in the pictures you posted, but in the second picture you can see it on the bug the flower on the left. You can see the "leaf" on the rear leg even on the nymphs on leaf footed bugs, as shown here.
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May I ask TJ about where the milkweed assassin came from. In the last week, I brought home from Lowes 5 $2 reduced price shrubs. One was a milkweed. I also picked up 3 milkweeds from a neighbor lady who is an organic gardener. And, got a couple of the angel trumpets from her, and a loquat and a fig. Since they are a generalist predator, could they live on other shrubbery besides hosta, milkweed, or whatever? It is my belief that the nymphs came from the neighborlady, not from a commercial site where plants in their care are generally sprayed to debug them regularly. Now. If I had used the ammonia/water 1:10 solution to spray where these bugs were living, would it have indiscriminately killed the nymphs as surely as my hand swiping over them only did away with a few if any?
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We have no way to orchestrate the activities of our many beneficials. Perhaps the adults have chosen to lay eggs elsewhere, or maybe a predator or parasite has been after them. It simply might be a bad year for assassinbugs. The cycles of the natural world change according to factors that we cannot control. Just do the good job you've been doing at creating a healthy environment and I'm sure that you'll see an abundance of insects....good and not so good.
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The leaf-footed bug in the nymph stage will tightly cluster as a family group to feed on a variety of plants including passionvine (shown above), pecans, ornamentals, citrus, as well as tomatoes. I killed one on my plumerias this morning. Here is a link that might be useful:
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
13 years ago
This particular insect is sometimes given the name "Milkweed Assassin bug" strictly because of its coloring. These guys have other nicknames, too. So, not to worry about them hanging around your milkweed, okay? That's not what they do.

Assassin bugs are generalists and will need to find their prey where ever and when ever they can. Look for this long-legged assassin bug where all kinds of other insects hang out. I've spotted them in the veggie garden.
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Milkweed Assassin Bug

Comments (3)

bandjzmom

bananasinohio

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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

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