Talk:Large milkweed bug
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Hello, I just wanted to inform any users of this page that I will be editing this page extensively over the next month for an assignment a part of my entomology class. Heather Stevenson (talk) 18:57, 7 November 2015 (UTC)Heather Stevenson
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[edit]Hello! This is to let editors know that File:Large milkweed_bug_(23188).jpg, a featured picture used in this article, has been selected as the English Wikipedia's picture of the day (POTD) for November 12, 2025. A preview of the POTD is displayed below and can be edited at Template:POTD/2025-11-12. For the greater benefit of readers, any potential improvements or maintenance that could benefit the quality of this article should be done before its scheduled appearance on the Main Page. If you have any concerns, please place a message at Wikipedia talk:Picture of the day. Thank you! — Amakuru (talk) 20:55, 5 November 2025 (UTC)
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The large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) is a medium-sized hemipteran (true bug) in the family Lygaeidae. It is distributed throughout North America, from Central America through Mexico, the Caribbean and the United States, to southern Canada. It inhabits disturbed areas, roadsides, and open pastures. Due to this widespread geographic distribution, this insect exhibits varying life history trade-offs depending on the population location, including differences in wing length and other traits based on location. Adult large milkweed bugs are around 11–12 mm in length and have a red/orange and black X-shaped pattern on their wings underneath the triangle that is typical to hemipterans. Its diet often consists of milkweed seeds, but it has also been observed feeding on aphids, monarch caterpillar eggs, and larvae, displaying opportunistic behavior. The insect is often used as a model organism and reared for laboratory experiments due to being easy to rear and handle, short developmental time, few instars, and high fecundity. This large milkweed bug was photographed in the Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Photograph credit: Rhododendrites
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