Common Milkweed Activity

I’ve been admiring some of the Common Milkweed plants that have put on luxuriant growth despite the super dry conditions.  This one has topped out at about seven feet.

Most plants are carrying six or eight seed pods.  Tendrils on the surface of the Common Milkweed seed pod present an alien appearance.

It looks like it’ll be a bumper year for Milkweed seeds.  All of the pods are large and full.  It won’t be long before the seam separates to release the ripe seeds.

Monarch butterflies are around loading the plants down with eggs.  I watched this female lay 17 eggs on a clump of three milkweed plants.

It may be warm now, but this egg is in a race to produce a mature butterfly before cold weather arrives.  Monarchs will not survive an Ohio winter.  In order to survive, the mature butterfly will have to emerge and make its long migratory journey to the south.

The Monarch is not the only insect depositing its eggs on the Milkweed leaves.  These orange gems were left by a female Milkweed Bug.

Here’s the likely source of those eggs.  This is an adult Small Milkweed Bug, a species that specializes on eating milkweed seeds that are still held within the pod.

The nymphs form colonies on the milkweed plants.  They are most likely to be found congregating on the seed pods where they use long, tube-like mouthparts to probe deep into the pod to access the hidden seeds.

The nymphs will shed their skins several times before emerging as an adult.  To avoid being damaged during this vulnerable time of their lives, the little bugs will move away from the pack and pick a secluded spot in which to shed.  After a while, shed skins can be found just about anywhere on the plant.  The variety of interesting activities occurring on milkweeds makes the cultivation of this plant a rewarding endeavor.

Small Milkweed Bug

The Butterflyweed is in full bloom and the bright orange flowers have attracted a collection of Small Milkweed Bugs, Lygaeus kalmii.  When I was in school, I raised Milkweed Bugs by the bucketful for the entomology lab, but I prefer to see them individually in the wild.

Milkweed bugs are seed eaters known for their ability to eat milkweed seeds right through the thick seed pod wall.  Their long piercing mouth parts are highly effective at reaching those hidden seeds.  The fact that an adult is present this early in the season, suggests that they are not totally dependent on seeds for their sustenance.

This individual was busily probing the base of the flowers.  The target may have been nectar or material from the ovary.  This species visits many species of milkweeds, but its coloring seems especially suited to the Butterflyweed.

It’s fortunate that the bugs can survive on other milkweed components besides the seeds.  It’s going to be awhile before any seed pods are available.

By the time seed pods form, these adults will be laying eggs and preparing to raise a family.  If they are successful, seed pods may be completely covered by orange and black nymphs.  Milkweed bugs are attractive and fascinating creatures.  I hope to see a lot of them this year.