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Milkweed Bug

milkweed_bug01_sm.jpg: Milkweed bug
milkweed_bug_sm.jpg: Milkweed bug
Range: United States, east of the Rocky Mountains
Habitat: Grasslands
Conservation Status: Not listed by IUCN
Scientific Name: Oncopeltus fasciatus

As its name suggests, this bug eats the seeds of the milkweed plant, but it causes little or no damage to the plant. Its bright red and black markings warn potential predators that the bug tastes terrible, a by-product of the milkweed sap.