Oncopeltus fasciatus, the large milkweed bug, can be found all over Glenstone enjoying the abundance of milkweed (including Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias syriaca, and Asclepias incarnata). These vibrant orange and black bugs are seen feeding in groups—using their long proboscis to eat milkweed seeds, which are vital to the development of juvenile milkweed bugs. While adults also frequently consume milkweed seeds, they can eat other types of seeds and have been observed eating aphids, monarch caterpillar eggs, and larvae. Like monarch butterfly caterpillars, Oncopeltus fasciatus consumes milkweed’s toxic compounds without any ill effects and with the added benefit of becoming toxic to predators. 

–Carly Davis