Besides Monarch butterfly larva, milkweed is a hangout for a couple of other insects, including a variety of Milkweed Longhorn species, the larva of the Milkweed Tussock moth and Milkweed Bugs. This image is of the bugs ( Oncopeltus fasciatus) sunning themselves and staying warm on a cool morning in early October.
One just has to want to go in the opposite direction as all the others. Along the right is a larva.
In case you are wondering about the Milkweed Longhorn clan, here is one shy and dewy Tetraopes species.
They drop at the hint of approach and, when picked up, sometimes give out with an audible squeak.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Fascinating grouping of very colorful insects. Nice photo too.
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Thanks, Yvonne.
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Awww, he’s cute! Great eye… I guess I’ve never looked beyond the gross milkweed beetles to see if the longhorn was in residence.
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Gross? I have always found insects attractive although some of the larvae can be a little less so. 🙂
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Have you ever watched them? Eww. I have watched Monarchs land on a milkweed where the milkweed beetles were present, and disdain from laying eggs there.
Otherwise I’m with you~ most insects and arachnids are very cool.
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Yeah, messy little chompers. The Milkweed Tussock moths make an awful mess as they devour the leaves. Like the beetles, you can always tell they are around by the piles of frass on the leaves below.
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Oh, I feel sorry for the cold one. Look at his face….
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Living in Norway, you must have lots of experience feeling sorry for beings caught in the cold.
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It was actually quite warm and humid that day, Bente. Maybe this is how they bathe. 🙂
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The second picture is a great textured closeup. You must’ve been thrilled to have all that dew to play with visually.
By coincidence, on Thursday I saw two Oncopeltus fasciatus larvae on a milkweed vine pod.
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Yes, I was quite pleased to have so many dewy subjects that day, Steve. One purple clover flower looked especially nice.
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I like those pictures. I have picked up the longhorn and held it up close to my ear. They squeak a lot. Pretty funny.
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Not so funny to the little squeaker, I would guess. But it’s hard to resist.
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Your images are amazing, they are such a wonderful reminder of the truly awesome creatures that share our world.
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Kind of you to say, Charlie. Much appreciated.
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Is that natural light on the first? If so … nicely done. D
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Positively natural, David. Low-angled early morning sun and a momentary lull in the breeze. I never carry a flash in the field preferring to use natural light. I do “cheat” occasionally and use a reflector. The flash comes out if I am shooting night flying moths in the backyard.
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I saw a group of these sunning themselves on the trunk of a scrub oak. They were all moving around.
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Are you sure they were the same bugs, Rod? Similar in appearance is the Eastern Box Elder Bug http://bugguide.net/node/view/3598/bgimage or Western Box Elder Bug http://bugguide.net/node/view/15578/bgimage either of which would be found as you did and with a range that includes your area. In the autumn they crawl around on/in the bark laying eggs. The Milkweed Bugs actually migrate as the weather turns cold.
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It wasnt either of the Box Elders Steve. The pattern was much closer to the ones you photographed. I may have a photo in the reject pile I may be able to dig up.
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It would be nice to see, Rod. But I believe you. 🙂
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Well i searched and searched. But I think they ended in the junk I shall keep my eyes peeled for next year snd see if I can capture an accrptable image.
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I also utter an audible squeak when picked up, Steve. Nothing wrong with that.
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I’ll keep that in mind should we ever attend a party together, Andrew. Sure to be a crowd pleaser.
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Yes, yes …. that first photo is nice. Great. But the second? That Milkweed Longhorn? That’s the best bug photo I’ve ever seen. They really squeak? I’ve got to find one, and pick it up. What a find!
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That’s awfully nice of you to say, Linda. I do like it also. Most certainly, they do squeak. I would guess it’s a distress signal.
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