MILKWEED
BUGS - because both large and small milkweed
bugs are frequently seen on daylilies, they are included
here for identification purposes even though it is
not yet clear whether they are actually doing any
damage to the plants. They both belong to the Seed
Bug family, Lygaeidae, and are considered
to feed mainly on milkweed seeds by inserting a beak
into the seed and injecting an enzyme to aid in digestion.
The toxins contained in milkweed do not affect them,
but ingesting them results in the bugs becoming unpalatable
to potential predators. They occur throughout most
of North America. The large milkweed bug, Oncopeltus
fasciatus, often appears in large numbers near
buildings in a similar fashion to the related boxelder
bug, for which it is often mistaken. It is roughly
half an inch in length. The small milkweed bug, Lygaeus
kalmii, is slightly smaller and has a somewhat
different black and red pattern often with two small
white dots at the rear. Both produce one or more
generations a year. They are frequently observed
mating, facing away from each other, and remaining
in this position for up to half an hour or more.
No controls are suggested at this time in view of
the current lack of knowledge regarding the significance
of their presence on daylilies. |
