Download Kate Bridges Science Picture Of Milkweed Bug Milkweed Bugs

Kate Bridges
Science
Picture Of Milkweed Bug
Milkweed Bugs Mating
Appearance (Morphology)
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Milkweed bugs are colored orange (or orange-red) and black.
They have a long proboscis which they use to pierce the seed and inject salivary enzymes used to digest
their food.
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Legs are delicate.
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Adult milkweed bugs have full grown wings which cover the abdomen.
Adult Males and Females
On the underside of the abdomen, the female has one black strip and two black dots. The male has two thick black
strips. Adults mate end to end. They may stay attached for 30 minutes or more.
Immatures (different stages)
Milkweed bugs are hemimetabolous insects, i.e. they have incomplete metamorphosis. Therefore the nymphs
(immatures) look like the adults except that they do not have full wings and their color pattern is different. Black
wing pads appear early in development. Nymphs have bright red abdomens. Milkweed bugs usually molt 5 times
(they have 5 nymphal instars before becoming an adult). Eggs take about 1 week to hatch and a month to become
adults at room temperature (75°F). Development of milkweed bug is: emergence - (1st instar) - first molt - (2nd
instar) - second molt - (3rd instar) - third molt - (4th instar) - 4th molt - (5th instar) - 5th molt (adult).
Natural History
Food
Seeds and tissue of the milkweed plant (Asclepias spp.). In captivity, the bugs feed on shelled sunflower seeds.
Habitat
Milkweed bugs are usually found in small groups on milkweed plants, often on the underside of the leaves.
Milkweed plants sometimes fill entire fields in good years, but usually are found along roadways. The plant
produces a milky white sap when a leaf is removed. These plants are large (3-4 feet high) with sprays of small white
flowers in the summer. In the fall, seed pods develop which are 4 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. When the seeds
ripen the seed pods open up releasing the seeds which float on fluffy white parasols. Milkweed bugs can be found on
seed pods piercing the wall of the pod to feed on seeds.
Predators
Milkweed bugs have few predators because they concentrate in their bodies bad tasting compounds found in the sap
of milkweed plants. The bugs use the bright coloration to advertise their bad taste. Inexperienced birds that taste
their first milkweed bug are unlikely to try to eat another orange and black insect! Some insects that do not taste bad
use similar color patterns to fool birds. These are known as mimics.
Interesting Behaviors
Milkweed bugs often gather in groups on the milkweed plant. This gregarious behavior probably enhances their
warning coloration. In the container you may see groups of bugs forming at night. During the day they are usually
found feeding on seeds or walking around the container. Sometimes groups form on the side of the container away
from the seeds when some of the bugs are molting.
Impact on the Ecosystem
Positive
Milkweed bugs are one of a small group of insects that have the ability to tolerate the toxic compounds in the
milkweed plant. They are therefore important in regulating populations of this plant.
Negative
None, unless you are trying to raise milkweed plants!
Collecting Live Insects
Where to find
Milkweed bugs are found on milkweed plants. Look for clusters of brightly colored insects on seed pods, leaves or
blossoms. Milkweed bugs can be purchased from: Carolina Biological Supply Company, Connecticut Valley
Biological Supply Co., Inc., and Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories.
How to collect
Use old pill bottles or small containers to gather the nymphs and adults. Hold the container below the insect and tap
it into the container or use your fingers to gently pluck later instar bugs off the plant. Use an aspirator to gather small
nymphs.
Facts that I learned/know
• Once you have a male and a female that mate they have 100 eggs that hatch into milkweed bugs and then become
102 over the time span of two mouths.
• The bugs are Red/Orange and black.
• The bugs can eat Sunflower seeds, and other seeds.
• They also might eat/suck Milkweed plant juices and leaves
• Milkweed Bugs suck water, plant juices.
• You can find Milkweed Bug under or near a Milkweed Plant.
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Milkweed Bugs do not drink the suck there drinks.
Baby/Young Milkweed Bugs are called Nymphs.
Milkweed Bugs drink with a
The large milkweed bug adult is a 9–18 mm long insect.
Milkweed Bugs have wings and can kind of fly but can not go high in to the air.
The Milkweed Bug has 3 parts just like a normal insect(Head, Thorax, and Abdomen).
The habitat of the large milkweed bug spreads east of the Rocky Mountains.
Milkweed Bugs like to be in the Cotton when the lay there eggs because it is safe for the babies about to hatch.
Every Day the Milkweed Bugs are changing.
During mating, female and male may become connected for up to 10 hours.
The Milkweed Bugs eggs became orange when they are closer to hatching.
Milkweed Bugs hatch there egg when they are about 1 week old.
Milkweed Bugs molt 5 times before coming adults.
There orange color protects them from predators.
Fun Fact
On one of the websites I saw that it said that there water should be like this: in form of soaked tissues must be
provided so they do not drowned in the water. It said that if you are going to have themas a pet of something you
must have there water supply like what it said above.
Links that I used to help me with this Report:
cirrusimage.com
http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1594&bih=1006&q=Milkw
eed+Bugs&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g5g-m5&aql=&oq=
http://insected.arizona.edu/milkinfo.htm
http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Milkweed-Bug
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_milkweed_bug
My text book that helped me with the facts I know.
Thanks For Reading