Milkweed bugs–signs of autumn

Large milkweed bugs, Oncopeltus fasciatus, Lygaeidae, Hemiptera. Photo Tom Morgan

In early October, MJ & and Tom Morgan were walking from Steenbock Library to the entrance to Picnic Point along the Lakeshore Path & Tom stopped to look at milkweed bugs. Tom sends us this report and photo of the milkweed bugs that appear when milkweed seeds are ready to burst open their prickly enclosures.

While walking along the Lakeshore Path on October 4th, listening to the cadence of the university’s marching band rehearsing for tomorrow’s game, I saw a seed pod with juvenile nymphs and adults of the large milkweed bug with bright, reddish orange coloration amidst a few, small, yellowish orange aphids. The bugs were feeding on nutritious milkweed seed, storing energy to last through the winter. I marveled at the relentless beauty of this chilly day along University Bay. The progression of life preparing for winter, shared a cadence, albeit on a different time scale, with the choreography of the marching band.