Camouflage

When is a brightly colored object camouflaged?
When it is on something bright of course.
(Click on the photo to get up close and personal)

Large Milkweed Bug
Oncopeltus fasciatus

On a Butterfly Milkweed
Asclepias tuberose ssp. Interior

The adults and larvae are found on milkweeds where they feed on the milkweed seeds, sometimes forming dense feeding aggregations on the seedpods. Their bright colors serve to warn potential predators of their bitter taste, which is a result of their diet.

Notice the orange y-shaped mark on the head which identifies and separates it from the Small Milkweed Bug.

Typically, you would find this bug on the other types of milkweeds.

The Butterfly Milkweed is the only milkweed that does not have the white milky sap.

I apologize to those with slow dial-ups, I had to use a large uncompressed jpg to keep the colors and definition.

Troy and Martha